Spartan Love
by firerwolf
Summary: Stories of love that can only be found between Spartans. Rated T to be safe. Pairings will vary. So far: Kelly-087/John-117, Fred-104/Kelly-087, Linda-058/John-117, Tom/Lucy, Carter/Kat, Jorge/Emile, Jai/Adriana. I take requests.
1. Caught

"Why not?" Her grip around his neck tightened as her mouth went back to his throat, running lightly over the skin.

He pulled at her arms but they both knew that he wasn't putting up much of a fight. "Because I'm squad leader. This wouldn't be setting a good example." He couldn't stop the sound that slipped out in response to her actions.

"I don't care about that. No one needs to know any way." She pulled herself closer to him and rubbed her body against him. "You can't tell me you don't want it."

He didn't answer. If he told her he didn't want it, which was what he needed to say, it would be a lie. They both wanted it. His hands stopped trying to push her away. It was a useless fight. Instead they went to the wall, looking for anywhere he could find something to hold onto. He felt like his legs would give out under him as she moved lower down his neck to his collar. He didn't understand how she had this kind of power over him. He could beat her in any test of physical strength. He could even out-do her in some weapons and in hand-to-hand combat when her speed didn't give her the upper hand. But here she was, with complete power over him. He was almost sure that if she took a gun to his head and shot him he would never even be aware of the threat.

His hands moved down her sides till they found the hem of her shirt. His fingers snaked up under the fabric, ghosting over her skin.

"Oh, looks like you do want it." She was teasing him, and there was nothing he dared do about it. If he teased back she might stop, which was the last thing he really wanted her to do.

"Yes, I want it. I want you, Kelly." He couldn't deny it to her. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her. She rewarded him for admitting it. Her mouth found his, and the two clung to each other as their tongues fought for dominance.

They hadn't even heard him enter the room. They were both caught up fully in what they were doing, in the feeling of being together. He stood watching them for a few seconds. Hands groped, bodies grinded, and they fought for power as they kissed.

"What are you two doing?" The pair froze in pure horror. "John?"

"Sam, it's not what it looks like?" John removed his hands which had found their way completely under Kelly's shirt. Kelly didn't dare look behind them, her face buried in her partner's neck.

Sam frowned at them. "Well, it looks like you two are getting all touchy-feely in the showers. I don't really want to hear it." There was a look that John had never seen in his best friend's eyes. "Just stop it, and don't do it again." He turned and stormed out of the room.

Kelly and John remained where they were for a few moments, in shock. Finally Kelly removed her arms from John's neck. She took a step away from him, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry, John." She turned and started to walk away.

"Kelly—"

The female soldier stopped and looked back at him. John hesitated, and then looked away. He had chickened out; he wasn't able to say it.

#

John stood still as the technicians fitted him with his new Mark VI armor. His mind wandered to the events of First Strike—to Dr. Halsey spiriting Kelly away without telling them anything. He didn't know if Kelly was alive or dead, or if he'd ever see her again.

He suddenly regretted his cowardice so many years ago. He should have had the guts to tell her. He made a promise to himself that if he ever saw Kelly again, he wouldn't be a coward.

He promised to tell her that he loved her.


	2. console

John sat in the locker room, staring down at the reflective face plate of his new helmet. He couldn't believe he'd left Sam on the Covenant ship. He should have stayed, should have done something—but he knew he couldn't have. Sam's suit had been broken; he wouldn't have survived the vacuum of space.

"John?" The Master Chief looked up from his helmet, seeing Kelly a few feet away. He didn't speak, just watched her as she moved toward him. He couldn't see her features under the armor, but her voice and movements gave her away. Each step was precise, as though she would move too fast if she weren't careful. "John, it wasn't your fault."

John reached out, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer, resting his forehead against her stomach. "I should have done something."

"You did everything that you could." Kelly's hands cupped his cheeks, lifting his face away from her so that she could kneel without hitting his head against her armor's chest plate. She reached up, removing her helmet and setting it on the bench next to John. She leaned toward him, letting her forehead rest against his. Her hand settled on his shoulders.

John closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her so close. He felt like they hadn't been this close in forever, and just her presence seemed to ease his pain and guilt. His hand remained on her waist, gauntleted hand running over the black under-layer of her armor. He cursed the suits at that moment. He wanted to feel more of her, feel better as only she could make him.

"You were stronger than me, on that ship. If you hadn't pulled me with you, I would have stayed." Kelly's words were soft and quiet. "If it weren't for you I would have gladly died back there, like a selfish fool."

"I wanted to stay, but we couldn't," John defended. It wasn't clear if he was defending the choice to Kelly or to himself. His hand gripped at her waist, his other hand moving to grip her forearm. "I would never leave you behind."

A smile spread over Kelly's face. "I know that." She lifted her head from his. John opened his eyes and her blue met his brown. They stared at each other for a few moments.

Kelly moved forward, tilting her head a bit to the side. Their lips met and everything melted away. The only thing that John was aware of was Kelly's mouth on his, and her body, which he pulled closer to him. All of the recent events on the Covenant ship vanished from his mind. The kiss deepened as they fought to taste more of each other.

They broke away from each other, staring at each other. Kelly leaned up a bit, placing a kiss on John's forehead before she stood up. She didn't say another word before she picked up her helmet and left the locker room.

John was left sitting in silence. He had lost his best friend that day, but he'd managed to save the woman he loved. His tongue ran over his lips, still able to taste a bit of her. He savored it while he could, knowing it would be a long time before he enjoyed that taste again.

John flipped over his helmet and slipped it on. He wasn't sure how she had done it, but he felt better. He stood, his purpose renewed. Sam may be dead, but he would do all that he could to stop the Covenant, to protect the other Spartans, to protect Kelly.

Note: these stories won't always be in chronological order. I am also willing to take request of pairings that readers want to see, though I refuse to do CortanaXJohn. Please only SpartanXSpartan pairings. Spartan II and Spartan III accepted.


	3. Sniper's bond

**Pair: Jun/FemSix**

**Requested by: SpartanGoddess  
**

**Title: Sniper's bond**

He didn't want to leave her behind. Over the short time that he'd spent with her something had formed between them. At first he had been reluctant to accept the replacement. Thom had been their teammate. But at some point, he'd accepted her.

She'd held her own during their first encounter with the Covenant on Reach, and she'd cleared the way for them at Sword Base. He supposed that it had really started to grow while they were infiltrating the dark zone.

Jun was always the eyes for his team. He would be in the sky or up high, seeing the enemy before his teammates. While infiltrating that dark zone, he had expected to once more be covering his teammate from high above. She'd surprised him. Six had been a wonderful sniper. She'd assassinated with skill and had put bullets through the heads of elites from yards away. She'd watched his back while he set the charges, keeping even hunters from getting to him.

Jun had been a bit afraid that they'd lost her after the space op. They had lost contact with her, but when Kat had reported that she was alive, he'd been relieved. He hadn't realized how much she mattered to him. He had been so worried that he wouldn't see her again, that they'd lost their Six.

Only the situation and the sobering fact that she'd come back without Jorge kept him from being overjoyed as she joined them at New Alexandria. Then Kat was killed right before their eyes, and Jun realized how easily that could have been her. If the shooter had only shifted their aim a few inches to the side, they would have been targeting her. It was only luck that she was still with him.

Now, as he boarded the pelican, he hoped her luck held out. She would need it. He was getting the easier way out. He only had to protect Dr. Halsey. She would be taking the AI to the shipyard. There would be Covenant everywhere, and he knew that it was going to be difficult. He wished he could have gone with her—watch her back from high above as was his great skill.

Jun gripped his DMR a bit tighter. He felt so helpless as he watched the other pelican rise up and move away. "Good luck, Maya," Jun whispered.


	4. Love again

**Pair: Emile/FemSix**

**Requested by: SpartanGoddess  
**

**Title: Love again**

Emile was glad he could be there for her in the end. He saw her through, all the way to the end. He'd taken out two of the elites—one of them still lay dead at his feet, knife buried in its neck. He didn't know where the others had gone, and he couldn't take a breath deep enough to warn her over the COM.

Emile knew that she could do it. She'd get to the gun, she'd make sure that their package made it out of system. She was strong, the perfect replacement for Thom. Though Noble Six wasn't the only one that she'd replaced.

He wasn't sure when she'd replaced her, but she had. Emile had never thought he'd feel that way about another person, that forever Jane would be the only woman who would hold his attention like that, but Six had changed that.

Maybe it was the first time he'd seen her kicking Covenant ass, or maybe it had been when she'd blown that phantom into pieces. He supposed that Six reminded him of Jane. That was where it started. She reminded him of her, and he was attracted by the same things. Six could, and would, crush a jackal's skull with the butt of her gun or snap the neck of a grunt as it tried to flee. That kind of brutality was just his style.

He'd been there for her all the way to the end, and his only regret was that he hadn't seen the elite behind her. If he had, maybe he wouldn't be sitting here dying while Six was slaughtered the remaining elites. His breath slowed and he fought to try to stay alive. It was all for nothing. He knew that medics wouldn't come fast enough, and the elites would slow her down just long enough for him to miss his chance.

He had things he wanted to say to her, but he would never get that chance. He wanted to thank her, for helping him move on, for making him feel that way again. He wanted to thank her for giving him someone again that he was willing to die for. He wanted to tell her how he felt, though he doubted that he'd find the words. Emile's breath slowed until it stopped and he slipped away, never able to tell her anything.

* * *

Six stood before his body, having fired the gun and destroyed the cruiser. She reached out, running her fingers lightly over the skull carved into his helmet. She'd thought that it looked amazing. It really showed.

Maya stood up, glancing up toward the sky then back down at her fallen teammate. "I'm sorry I have to leave, but this fight isn't over for me, yet." She hesitated for a moment then walked on. Emile would be glassed along with the rest of the planet, she knew that. She would make sure that if he was going to be glassed, he'd have plenty of Covenant corpses to join him.


	5. Why

Note: This takes place a few days after Caught

Why~

Sam lay in his cot, blanket pulled up over his head. He couldn't believe that he'd attacked John like that. Sure, he was supposed to attack him—it was a sparring match—but he had really hurt his friend. He'd had to wash his hands of John's blood. What had hurt more was the look that he'd gotten from Kelly. She'd been mad, pissed at him.

He was here in the barracks, trying to escape what he'd done. He wouldn't be so lucky. The door opened and he could hear the footsteps approaching him. The blanket was forcefully pulled from him and Sam looked over at Kelly, who was glaring at him. "Explain yourself." The words were an order.

Sam wondered if he could get away with just ignoring it. "Explain what?"

"Explain why you did what you did to John. He's your friend, why would you attack him like that?" She pushed him, almost sending him off of the cot.

"Have you forgotten that it was a sparring match? You're supposed to attack the opponent." Sam sat up, glaring back at her. This was partially her fault.

"Fight, but not beat up like that. He submitted, you kept attacking him." She shoved him again, this time pushing him fully off of the cot. He hit the ground and she moved around so that she was standing in front of him. "Why would you do that? John is your best friend."

Sam scrambled to his feet. "Apparently not good enough friends to tell me that he and another one of my friends are getting X-rated in the showers."

Kelly looked stunned. "That's what this is about? Because John and I didn't tell you?"

Sam looked away from her, unwilling to meet her gaze. "Sort of."

"Sort of? What the hell does that mean? John and I didn't tell anyone. It's against the rules. We didn't want you to get in trouble for covering for us." Kelly shook her head. "If you were so mad about it then why didn't you say something, rather than beating up John?"

Sam shifted a bit. "It wasn't just that you guys didn't tell me."

"Well what other reason could you possibly have?" Kelly set her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

Sam didn't answer right away. He moved forward, pulling Kelly toward him. He kissed her, though she didn't kiss back. Kelly pushed against him, forcing him away from her.

She took a step away from him, hands moving up to cover her mouth. Her eyes were wide in shock. Her gaze suddenly became furious again. Her hands went down to her sides, clenched into fists. "What is wrong with you?" She took another step back. She turned and ran out of the barracks, likely right back to John.

Sam sat down on his cot. He couldn't believe what he'd done. He'd loved Kelly for years. Seeing John and Kelly together had been a bit too much for him. He'd gotten mad and had messed everything up. John was with the medics and he'd just kissed the woman who he already knew was with his best friend. He hung his head in shame. He shouldn't have let his emotions get the best of him, let himself attack the man who was like a brother to him, or kissed the woman that viewed him as a brother.

Sam flopped back onto the cot, staring at the ceiling. He'd have to find a way to make things right again.


	6. Still Here

**Pair:Linda-58/John-117**

**Requested by: Havoc-legionnaire**

**Title: Still here  
**

John sat in the makeshift barracks that the Spartans were using aboard the _Gettysburg. _He was tired, and he wanted rest. Since they'd gotten back from First Strike and moved into slipspace the energy had drained out of him. There was nothing to fight until they got back to Earth, and then there would be a big fight ahead of them. The Covenant would regroup, they'd gather more ships and attack, and he'd have to be ready.

John leaned back against the wall, removing his helmet. It seemed like forever since he'd last taken his helmet off, though he knew it hadn't been that long. The back of his head hit the wall and his eyes closed.

He was disturbed from his attempt at rest as the door opened. A single Spartan walked in and sat down on the cot beside him.

Linda removed her helmet, setting it to the side. "Tired?"

"I think that might be the understatement of the century." John took a deep breath and let it out. Linda looked down at the floor. "What?"

Her gaze lifted to look at the Master Chief. "Thanks for coming back for me."

"I wasn't going to leave you behind. Besides, you saved me from floating away there in the end."

"That wouldn't have happened if we weren't both riding it." Linda smiled slightly at him. "We all made it out alive."

"Not Grace." John frowned at that fact. "And so many of us are still gone. James, Kelly, Anton, Li. All of them gone."

Linda didn't react right away. She stood up and moved over so she was standing before John. She bent down so that her face was staring straight at his. "But we are still here. We are still alive. We can still do something." She leaned in, gently pressing her lips to his. He returned the kiss, though his fatigue was evident as he did so.

Linda pulled away and stood up. "Get some sleep, John. You need it." She scooped up her helmet and left the room. John took a breath and then lay down on the cot. His eyes slid close and he got the first rest he'd gotten in what felt like years.


	7. Without Words

**Pairing: Tom-B292/Lucy-B091**

**Requested by: CSIfan(Though I already was planning on doing these two. They are just so meant for each other.)  
**

**Title: Without words**

It was rather boring on the _Hopeful_ and the Gamma Company augmentations would take a full week. This left Tom and Lucy with a lot of down time. They sat in their quarters in the comfortable silence. Tom had stopped trying to have conversations soon after Lucy stopped talking. After operation TORPEDO, after the death of the rest of Beta Company, Lucy hadn't said a word. They'd been the only two Spartans from the operation to have survived, and it had been just barely so. Her last words to him, questioning how they were sure they were alive, still haunted him at times. Without a voice to answer him when he'd have a conversation with Lucy he often felt like he was talking to himself.

Tom put his uniform away in his locker and looked over his shoulder at Lucy, who was lying on her bed. He watched her for a few seconds. He walked over to her cot and she looked up at him. Tom motioned to her and she scooted over so that he could lie down beside her. He settled down beside her, though they had to lie on their sides so that they both fit.

They lay in the comfortable silence, just staring at each other. Lucy slowly lifted her right arm, holding her hand out—pointer, pinky, and thumb outstretched. Her ring and middle finger were bent down against her palm.

Tom smiled and raised his left hand, making the same symbol. He set their hands against each other so that they mirrored each other. He moved his head forward so that his forehead rested against Lucy's. He once more reveled in how lucky he had been that Lucy had survived and that they hadn't considered her unfit for duty and separated them. Her voice was a small price to pay for him to keep her in his life. He missed her voice, missed her laugh, and the tone she would take with him when he messed up.

They had found a way to convey their emotions. Without words they still could say more with just one action. As their hands remained in contact it seemed to only strengthen their bond. It was their way and their way alone. Their special way of saying they loved each other.

Note: Tom Sloan- I'm giving her all I've got Captain! The chapters have to be betaed before being posted.


	8. Second Best

**pair: Fred-104/Linda-058**

**Requested by: Sergeant Dreamer and Mysteious Angel-05**

**Title: Second best  
**

Fred fired off the last of his rounds and moved his head away from the scope of his rifle. He stood up and checked over his target. He walked down the firing range where Linda had just finished firing her rounds. Her target came back to her and the bullet holes in it were all dead center, exactly where they were supposed to be. Fred had always admired Linda's skill with a sniper rifle. His friend was more skilled with the weapon than any other soldier, probably in the entire UNSC. He often played the part of her spotter while she sniped. He liked the time alone with her, and had grown very close to the redhead.

"Looks like you beat me again." He looked down at his own target. One of his shots had been just a little bit off.

Linda stood up and grabbed her target. "I always beat you. You don't try hard enough."

"I try plenty hard," Fred defended. "Just because I'm not as good with a sniper rifle as you are doesn't mean I don't try."

"It's not this I'm talking about, I mean everything. Kelly's faster than you, Will beats you in hand-to-hand fights, I'm a better sniper, and John's a better leader. You don't try hard enough at anything." Linda picked up her rifle and slung it over her back. "You're always second best."

"Second best doesn't mean I don't try. I don't see what's wrong with second best anyway." Fred looked away from her. She was always on his back about this. "Besides, John said I was the best spotter."

Linda shook her head. "That's only because you aren't good enough to be the sniper. Face it; you aren't the best at anything."

Fred scowled at her. He grabbed her and pulled her toward him. Their lips collided and after her initial shock she melded into him. His hand moved to the back of her neck, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. Only once their air supply ran out did he pull himself away from her. "Still think I'm not the best at anything?"

Linda took a step away from him and shrugged. "I don't know, I think I'll have to gather more information before I can pass judgment." She turned and sauntered away from him, leaving a stunned Fred.

#

Linda's back hit the wall as Fred's full weight forced her back. The two entangled teens pulled away, catching breath. They'd been meeting on and off for weeks, in secret places where no one would find them. "So, am I the best or what?"

Linda tilted her head to the side and shrugged. "I don't know, I think Will might be a bit better than you." Fred scowled and she giggled slightly. "Don't you worry, with a little practice you can be the best. Just give it your all." Their lips met again for more 'practice'. This was one thing Fred wouldn't accept being second best at.

Note: I'm very happy with all the requests I've gotten. I still have a number of couples that are in the works such as Six/Jorge, Adriana/Jai, and Ash/Holly. I'd like to remind people requesting pairs that they have to be Spartan/Spartan.


	9. Not a Problem

**Pair: John-117/Kelly-087**

**Title: Not a problem. A sequel to Why. **

Kelly walked through the base, trying to pretend that nothing had happened. It was hard, though she managed it. She and John had been caught making out in the showers, and just a few minutes ago Sam had kissed her. She'd understood then why Sam was so upset, why he had attacked John so violently. He'd was jealous, jealous of her and John.

She stopped as she spotted John, walking into the showers. Kelly waited a minute before she followed him in. She sat by the lockers, waiting for him to finish. She listened to the sound of the shower as she fought to keep her mind from dwelling on the recent events. She was mad at Sam. John had asked her permission the first time that he'd kissed her, but Sam hadn't given her the same courtesy. Even though the kiss had been short and simple she still felt dirty for it.

She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard the shower stop. She didn't even notice as John walked in. It wasn't until he opened his locker that she was snapped back to the present. She looked over at him and then looked back away as she realized how little he was wearing. She sat in silence as he got dressed.

John sat down beside her on the bench. Kelly finally looked over at him, still able to see the slight bruises that were starting to form on his cheek and the cut on his left cheek. "Are you all right?" Her hand reached up running lightly over the scratch.

"Yeah, medics said that I was fine, just a little bruised." John's eyes stared at her before he spoke again. "Did you talk to him? Find out why he was so mad?"

Kelly took a deep breath, wording her answer carefully. "He was mad about us." It was true, though she doubted that John would understand the full reasoning.

"If he was really mad that we didn't tell him then he should have told me, not tried to kill me." John frowned. The whole situation was troubling to him. Sam had been acting oddly toward them both. Kelly nodded and leaned toward him. John stopped her, raising a hand between them, before she could complete the kiss. "Kelly, we talked about this."

Kelly backed away only a little bit, her hands moving up to his chest. "Please, John, just one more. I need it." John seemed reluctant and Kelly wished she could express how much she wanted just one more from him, and why. They'd decided the day that Sam had found them that their relationship had to stop. Sam walking in on them had proven that they weren't as hidden as they had thought. They'd come to the agreement that they had to end it. Kelly had decided that if she could never have a relationship again, then she would make John the last man she kissed. Now that Sam had kissed her, John wasn't her last.

John finally let out a long sigh, giving in. He knelt down a bit and their lips met. The kiss only lasted for a second but that was enough. "That's the last one." Kelly nodded and looked away from him, moving her hands to her lap. "You're still my best friend."

Kelly smiled a bit and nodded. The two trainees turned as a third person entered the locker room. Sam looked at his two friends, then seemed to think about leaving before forcing himself to stay. He walked over and stood before John. "I'm sorry." John stood up so that he and Sam were at the same level. "I was upset and I shouldn't have attacked you like that."

"I'm sorry that we didn't tell you, Sam." John glanced at Kelly before looking back at his best friend. "Besides, it's over between us now. It was too much of a risk."

"Oh." Sam looked down at Kelly who looked away from him, then looked back to John. "Well, then I guess it's not a problem."

John shook his head and smiled slightly. "Not anymore. Though I have to admit that you got some good hits in on me. Next time, though, try to aim that anger at the instructors, not the teammate." He chuckled slightly and Sam joined him. "I'll see you both later." He nodded to them and moved past Sam, walking out of the locker room.

Sam shifted slightly then looked back to Kelly. She continued to stare at the floor at her feet. "Was it because of me?"

Kelly shook her head. It really hadn't been his fault. "No, we decided that it was too much of a risk of getting in trouble. We've trained so hard and we didn't want to put it in jeopardy." At least that was what Kelly kept telling herself.

Sam hesitated before he spoke again. "I'm sorry about what I did. Not what I did to John, but what I did in the barracks." He shook his head slightly. "I just couldn't help myself. It's just that…I love you."

Kelly stood up and glared down at him. "Don't say that!" Sam flinched back a bit, probably afraid that she'd hit him. She didn't want to hear those words from him. She wasn't sure what hurt more, the fact that Sam had admitted that to her knowing that she couldn't return it, or the fact that in all their time together John had never said those words to her. "We can't have relationships. We can't ever."

Sam nodded and stood up. "You're right. I just figured that if he got to say it, I should get to say it." Kelly looked away from him, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. "Well, I'll see you back in the barracks." Sam paused for a moment before he turned and left Kelly alone in the locker room.

Kelly sat back down on the bench, staring at the lockers in front of her. She really hated love.


	10. jealous

**Pair: Ariana-111/Jai-006**

**Requested by: CSIfan(Though I completely agree, just forgot about them)**

**Title: Jealous**

"I just think that you're getting a bit overly attached to him." Jai watched as Adriana sat down at the navigations controls. She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for him to continue. He let his gaze roam over her, his friend since they had been six. They'd been friends since that first night when she helped him break out of the base. They'd made countless attempts after that and in the end became the only reason Jai had stayed a part of the Spartan program. He'd been an orphan before the UNSC had taken him. Something had formed between him and Adriana, and the idea of losing his memory of her and her forgetting him was unbearable. "I just think that it's a risk. We have a mission to complete."

"I don't see why that should mean that we shouldn't try to also save these people. He's a nice kid." Adriana shook her head. "I feel bad for the guy. Besides, now we know about the other ship."

"But we had him here. He has the data. That's our objective. You should be staying focused." Jai still was kicking himself for having let her talk him into letting Delgado leave. "He's an insurrectionist. I don't see why you are so set on saving them all."

"Because enough humans have died in this war already. You're making too big of a deal out of this." The female Spartan stood and walked over to Jai. "Or do you have other reasons why you don't want me to get close to him?"

Jai kept his cool, even as she moved up to be standing right in front of him. "There is no other reason. As the leader I'm supposed to keep you on task, but you refuse to do that. You need to follow my orders."

Adriana smiled slightly at him. "Sure that's why you're so upset about it? Why don't you just admit it, Petty Officer? You're jealous of the attention I'm giving him." Her hands moved up, running over his chest and wrapping around his neck.

Jai couldn't help the slight blush that crept onto his cheeks as is body reacted to her touch. "I am not jealous."

Adriana moved forward, her lips hovering over his. As he leaned toward her, she backed away, preventing him from initiating contact. "I don't think so. Not until you admit it."

Jai mentally cursed. "That's blackmail. Is it really admitting it if I'm being forced to admit it?"

"The question is, will your pride or your body win out?"

Jai hesitated for a moment, then reached out. In a flash he switched their positions and had Adriana against a wall. He leaned in to kiss her but she moved out of the way, causing him to let out a low growl. "Fine, I might be a little jealous. I don't like you showing attention to that civilian."

Adriana shifted a bit, then smiled. "I don't know if I believe you." Jai grumbled and Adriana laughed. "All right, I believe you." She leaned forward, finally allowing their lips to make contact. The two clung to each other as they deepened the kiss.


	11. The End

**Pairing: Jorge/FemSix**

**Requested by: skywalker05**

**Title: The End**

Six stood, watching the space battle above. Reach was fully and completely lost, but she had gotten the AI to the ship. She only hoped it would be enough to give humanity a chance. She knew that there was nothing left for her to do. She'd stayed behind to fire the gun, to make sure that they got away. She knew that it meant she was signing her own death sentence.

Her mind traveled to her fallen teammates. Emile, who still lay beside the elites he had killed. In the end he'd had her back, and she couldn't have asked anything more from him. Carter, whose final sacrifice had opened the way for them. His leadership had showed her through till the end, and she was thankful for it. Kat, whose death seemed so unfair. One minute they were beside each other, and the next she was gone, having been killed by a lucky shot. She'd been a brilliant second-in-command, and had been rather accepting of Six. Maybe it was because it was the addition of another woman to the team. There was a sort of bond that was automatic between them. She was also nice to Six throughout it all. Since Sword Base she treated Six like she'd always been part of the team. Jun, who was hopefully still alive. As long as there was one living Spartan, humans had a chance. Jun was an excellent sniper, and she had faith that he would get Dr. Halsey to her destination.

Six's mind then wandered to the final member of her team. She reached into a pouch on her belt, pulling out a pair of dog tags. She remembered when he'd passed them on to her. The strong grip of his hands, his arms as he lifted her up. In truth, as soon as he pulled them from his neck, she knew what was going to happen. She'd just stood there, though. She'd let him grab her, and throw her out of that ship. She'd felt so helpless, unable to do anything as she fell toward the planet below. She knew that he died happily, believing that Reach was being saved.

She'd been surprised how much his death had meant to her. His sweet, gentle attitude had been intriguing to Six at first. It had formed a special bond between them. She wouldn't have asked for any other Spartan to join her in their space operation. She only regretted that in the end she couldn't save him. That after finding such a wonderful bond, that it had been lost. It hurt to know that such a kind soul was now gone. The universe needed more people like Jorge. People that wanted to save the innocent as he had with the girl they'd found in the com relay station.

"I'm sorry that wasn't the case." She clutched the dog tags a bit tighter. "I'm sorry we couldn't save Reach. I only hope that we saved humanity." She heard the sounds of grunts in the distance. "This fight isn't over for me, yet." She slipped the dog tags back into her belt and checked over her rifle.

She stood and stared off into the distance where the aliens' shouts seemed to come from. "Come and get me. You want to take Reach, you'll have to do it over my dead body." She slid a new clip into her gun with a satisfying click and readied for her final fight. She wouldn't let Jorge down. She'd give the Covenant a hell of a fight.


	12. betrayal

**Pairs: Linda/John, onesided Kelly/John, hints of onesided Sam/Kelly**

**Title: Betrayal  
**

Her back landed on the tree as she leaned back. Her eyes challenged him as she beckoned for him to come closer. He moved toward her and pinned her against the tree. "We shouldn't be doing this, Linda." His hands moved to her sides, pulling himself closer to her.

"No, we shouldn't, but we are. Just relax, John." Linda pulled him in. Their lips met and her arms wrapped around his neck. They broke apart a minute later.

"You're supposed to be teaching me some tricks to be a better sniper." John trained his lips down her chin to her neck. "I don't want to fall too far behind Fred."

"You've already fallen behind Fred. There's not really anything else I can teach you about sniping." Linda let her head fall back and her hands cling to John's back. "I really just wanted a good excuse to get some alone time. I think that the DIs are getting suspicious when we do it on base."

"You don't hear me complaining. I don't want to risk someone catching us anyway." John didn't lift his mouth from the sniper's neck. His hands moved over her side, finding their way under her shirt to seek out more contact.

#

Kelly held her hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet. She melted into the shadows to avoid being seen. She doubted that either of the young teens would notice her, though. They were both so caught up in each other that they were unaware of the world around them. She turned and ran, trying to remain silent as she fled the scene.

She didn't stop until she knew she was far enough away. She sat down at the base of a tree and pulled her knees to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her legs as she buried her face in her knees. She couldn't believe what she had seen. John had broken off his relationship with her because they had decided it wasn't worth risking their careers as soldiers. But there he had been with Linda.

She felt a pain in her heart, but she refused to let tears fall from her eyes. It hurt to know that John would go behind her back like that, and with Linda, her friend. She bit her lip, trying to keep control of herself. She felt betrayed.

Kelly heard the bushes rustle around her, but she didn't look up. The person stopped beside her and knelt down. "Kelly? What's wrong?" She recognized the voice right away as Sam.

Kelly looked up and saw the worried look on his face. "It's nothing." Sam frowned at her and sat down. He crossed his arms and she knew that she wasn't going to get away with it. "I saw John…and Linda."

Sam tilted his head to the side quizzically. "What were they doing that was so bad?"

Kelly hesitated. "You know when you saw me and him…in the showers." Sam's eyes widened when it struck him. "That's what they were doing."

Sam frowned and furrowed his brow. "I don't understand. I thought that he decided not to have a relationship because it was too much of a risk."

"Well, apparently it was too much of a risk because I was involved." The words were venom. Kelly shook her head. "Apparently there's no problem with him making out with Linda in the woods. From what they said, they've been doing it for a while."

Sam put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her. "I can't believe John would do that. I never thought he was that stupid. I'm going to kick his ass."

Kelly shook her head. "You don't have to do that. It's not like he's threatening my career as a soldier. I'm just a bit hurt he didn't tell us."

Sam took a deep breath. "I know that's not true. I know from what I saw, from the way you acted, that isn't what this is about. Maybe it sort of is, but I know that you loved him. I can't believe he would do this."

"He never loved me." Kelly stared at the ground by her feet. "He never said it, even once." Kelly tried to pull her feet in tighter. "So I don't have any right to be mad. I'm just being stupid." She stood up, running a hand over her short hair. "Come on, I feel like getting a workout. I need someone to spot me."

Sam stood up and nodded. "Sure, I got your back." The two headed back to the base in silence.


	13. Threat

**Pairing: John/Linda, John/Kelly**

**Title: Threat  
**

* * *

Kelly stood in the locker room, tying up her boots. She was glad to be done with her training for the day. She felt clean and refreshed after her shower. Kelly glanced over as Linda walked out of the showers and to her locker. Kelly felt a pang of jealousy. Linda was thin, graceful, and beautiful. Those were all things that Kelly didn't see in herself. No wonder John chose Linda over her. The image of John and Linda in the woods shot through her head and anger rose in her.

She took a few calming breaths and she heard Linda open her locker. Kelly waited until she heard the locker shut again. She then stood and turned to Linda. The sniping expert turned to look at Kelly when she moved. "We need to have a talk." Kelly walked across the locker room to stand before Linda.

"Exactly what do we need to talk about?" Linda leaned back against the locker and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I saw you and John yesterday." This news seemed to surprise Linda. "First, you two need to find a better spot. I easily found you and you didn't even notice me. Second, John is my best friend. I'm giving you a warning. If you hurt him, I hurt you."

Linda smirked at Kelly. "Oh, don't you worry. I'm not going to hurt him, and I don't bite that hard. Though we will have to find a new place."

Kelly felt anger well up in her. She clenched her fists and turned away from Linda. She stormed out of the locker room. As she exited, she passed John, brushing right past him.

John stopped in the doorway and watched Kelly disappear down the hallway. He then turned to look at Linda. "What was that about?"

"What was that about? I think you mean what happened to you?" Linda moved over to him and moved his head to the side, eyeing the red mark on the side of his face.

"I have no idea. I was sitting on my bunk, polishing my boots, and the next thing I know Sam hits me. He didn't give me a reason. Just hit me and then walked away." John frowned.

"Maybe it is for the same reason that Kelly just threatened me." John raised an eyebrow. "Apparently she was in the woods yesterday and we gave her a little show."

A look of shock crossed John's face. Kelly had seen them together. "What exactly did she threaten you about?" It explained to him why Sam had hit him. The last time Sam had really hit him with the kind of anger it had been after he'd found John and Kelly together. Was he really that upset that he was having a relationship?

"She was just threatening me not to hurt you. Like you're fragile." Linda huffed. She moved her hand to John's chest. "Come on, we need to find a new place where we won't be found."

John took a step away from her and she frowned as her hand moved from his chest. "I told you we have to be careful. Two people other than us know about it—that's two more than there should be."

"She didn't say she was going to tell anyone." Linda crossed her arms. "From her threat it seems she isn't going to do anything at all."

John scowled. Something in him was slightly annoyed that Kelly was going to let it continue. It wasn't what he had expected. He shook his head. "I think this has gone on long enough. There's something going on; something's going to happen. I talked to Dr. Halsey the other day and when I asked her if we were moving on to a new sort of training…Well, she didn't say no."

Linda sighed. "Just when it was getting fun." She shrugged. "Fine, then we're over." Her face was neutral as she walked past him and out of the locker room.

John moved to his own locker and sat down on the bench. He felt uneasy. Sam hadn't told him what he knew, so why has Sam hit him? It was punishment without stating the cause. Kelly had seen them, but why had she gone to Linda and not talked to John about it?

More unsettling was that Kelly didn't seem upset by it. He wondered how much she'd really meant it when she'd told him she loved him. She couldn't have really meant it if she was fine with him being with Linda. He was also a bit annoyed at how easily Linda had let their relationship go. She hadn't argued for it like Kelly had. He guessed it might have been a part of the whole lone wolf sniper thing she was so good at.

John shook his head and pulled his locker door open. He had to clear these thoughts from his mind, put him and Linda behind him. They were going to move into the next stage of their training, he was sure of it. As the squad leader he'd have to be strong, focused, and lead them through it. He undressed and grabbed a towel, heading to the showers. A good wash would help to clear his head.

A/N: For those of you who don't know what John in referring to in the end it is the upcoming augmentations. The Spartans were not warned ahead of time that they would be happening so he's not aware that they are what will be happening. A second note. Another note, I'm starting a new Spartan story soon which will have this chapter, the chapter before it, and the first three chapters of this story as canon to it. If you want any other information on the upcoming story go ahead and ask and I answer as best I can.


	14. Knife's Edge

**Pairing: Fred/Kelly**

**Pairing and situation suggestion by: Eon Penumbra**

**Title: Knife's edge**

**Extra note, this takes place right after 'The Package' from Halo Legends. If you haven't watched it I would suggest that you do. It's the best one from the movie.  
**

* * *

Kelly walked through the halls of the ship. It felt good to be back in her normal equipment. The EVA helmet sometimes made her feel too vulnerable, open to headshots. She ignored the looks that she got from the soldiers as she walked past them. They just weren't used to the sight of a Spartan.

She moved to the storage room that had been cleared out for the Spartans to use while they were on board. She walked to her cot but stopped. Kelly's eyes glanced over to the two cots of her fallen comrades. Arthur had died watching their back.

Her gaze shifted to Solomon's cot. She still felt as though she could have saved him. She'd gone in there with him; she should have stopped him. She knew that something had felt wrong. John hadn't reached them in time. No, she couldn't blame him for it. She should have had the sense to get Solomon out of there and saved him.

She sat down on her cot and removed her helmet. She set it down on the cot beside her. She looked up as the door opened and Fred walked in. From the outside, the Spartans were impossible to tell apart. They all had the same armor, though the scorch and scratch marks were different. She could tell from his movements that it was Fred. He sat down on his cot facing her.

Fred removed his helmet and placed it on the cot beside him. "How are you doing, Kelly?" He reached over and set his hand on her knee.

Kelly smiled at the action. Fred was always caring and he seemed to take extra interest in the feelings of his teammates. "I'm all right." She shook her head. "That's a lie. I should have saved Solomon."

Fred shook his head. "There was nothing you could do, Kelly. I heard you on the COM, you tried to warn him against it." His hand gripped her knee but she couldn't feel it through the armor. "There was nothing you could do. I'm just glad that John got you out of there in time."

Kelly nodded. "Thank you for having my back when my frame went bad, and for coming around to pick me up. I was just so glad to see you still alive. I thought that we had been forced to leave you for dead."

"You know me, I'm harder to kill than that. You also know that I don't like leaving teammates behind." Fred released her knee and sat back a bit. The sat in silence for several minutes.

Kelly leaned forward and her lips lightly met his. Fred returned the kiss and pulled Kelly closer. They broke apart few seconds later. Kelly smiled at him and he blushed. She'd known that Fred had a particular affection toward her. She ran a hand through his black-and-silver streaked hair. She'd though it was a nice touch after his augmentation.

The door opened again and Kelly's hand was in her lap. John walked in and nodded to the two of them. He moved to his own cot. Kelly looked at Fred and blushed. Kelly could feel John's eyes on her and she tried to keep herself calm. She didn't want to give any indication of what he'd missed.

Kelly grabbed her helmet and slipped it on, feeling oddly secure in the enclosed suit. She could swear that the tension and embarrassment in the air was thick enough she could cut it with a knife. John seemed to relax and Kelly let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Fred grinned at her and slipped on his own helmet, hiding behind the reflective visor of his helmet.


	15. Chatty

**Pairing: Jun/FemSix**

**Requested by: Sergeant Dreamer  
**

**Title: Chatty**

Jun walked ahead of Six as they made their way through the already cleared powerhouse. "Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day." He jumped down from the large boulder and swept the area quickly, motioning to Six. She jumped down, landing beside him. "I have to say, you did better than I thought you would do. No offense, but I don't often find people that are good at sniping like I am. I have to say I'm impressed."

"I try my best." Six moved down the pathway, staying close to the wall so she would be less obvious. If troops had come in behind them she didn't want to be caught by surprise.

"Well, you did an amazing job. Seriously, it was nice having back up rather than being the back up. You did an amazing job." Jun chuckled. "I have to say I was a bit worried when those guta attacked us, but you handled them perfectly. Those things were huge, but you stayed nice and cool under pressure. I get the feeling you deal with stuff like that all the time."

Six shrugged. "I've handled larger." She glanced over her shoulder at the green armored sniper. "First time dealing with guta."

"Well they are only native here on Reach and usually we don't have to worry about them. Bet you didn't use a sniper rifle while taking out the larger things. What did you use? Heavy weapon?"

"Rocket launcher works best."

"Those are a bit too loud for us to use on a mission like this—well, except against those hunters. Not like they don't make enough noise on their own. Really didn't expect them to drop those in on us. Though I was glad you had my back there. I don't think I could have handled the both of those without you."

"You know, I always thought that snipers were quiet." Six stopped at the cliff wall, looking up and trying to figure the best way up.

"Well, most of them are, but I've always been a bit talkative. Really it's just the built up adrenaline of what we found that's got me so chatty right now. Though for once I'm glad to have someone to talk to. Usually I'd be all alone or with Emile or something and he hits me for talking too much. Kat usually just turns off her radio or threatens to have me formally reprimanded if I don't shut my trap." Jun chuckled again as he started to climb up the rocks. "At least she is blunt about it. Carter tries to be a bit nicer about it. Never have been on a mission like this with Jorge though. Guess he's a bit big to be sneaking around."

"He is rather large." Six reached the top of the cliff and reached down, holding her hand out to Jun. He took it and she pulled him up onto the solid ground. "He still seems to fit in."

"Well, if you can get past him and Emile, then he fits in. They each see Spartans as different things. Emile sees us as killing machines and Jorge sees us as humans. Don't let it fool you, the two of them are strong and would back each other no matter what. It's just outside of fights that they pick on each other about it. Like they did back at Visegrad." Jun paused long enough to make his way carefully over a gap. "Anyway, you're fitting better than I expected." The sniper stopped to watch Six cross the gap. He noted the slight tilt of her helmet. "The Commander wasn't kidding when he said that you were filling a place we wanted to leave vacant. None of us wanted to replace Thom, but both Carter and Kat seemed confident that you were the right one for the job. Really, I'm surprised that they filled the place. The both of them have been beating themselves up over what happened to Thom. I think I see what their point is, but honestly, Thom should have waited for us, not run off like a cowboy out to save the wild west."

"I'm glad I'm being accepted." Six had actually been worried about how the team would react to her. She'd known from Carter's tone that he was serious about the reluctance to replace Thom. Surprisingly the team had warmed up to her after their first engagement with the Covenant.

"Well, with your skills it is hard not to be impressed and like you. I mean, you handled yourself nicely with those Covenant bastards. Jorge told me how you took down that sword-wielding elite. Not to mention you've got that whole mystery thing going for you. I haven't seen you take off your helmet even once since you joined us. That gives you interesting points. There's our falcon." Jun pointed ahead to the waiting ship. "I really do prefer the falcon to the pelican. I mean, I don't mind the pelican but it is much easier to snipe from a falcon than it is from a pelican. There are the wide open sides which give a better range of vision and shots. Which do you prefer?"

"Depends on the mission." Six jumped and slid down the side of the hill to the waiting falcon.

"You really are a woman of few words. I don't know how you do it. I don't think that I would be able to be that quiet." Jun followed her down. "I know that I'm supposed to be quiet but I just can't help but talk. I always talked a ton when I was a kid, so much that my friends would shout at me to shut up. Maybe that's why I talk even though I shouldn't. Because that part of me is from before I was a Spartan and I don't want to lose it."

Six stopped at the side of the falcon. "Jun." Noble Three joined her. "Shut up before I make you shut up." She moved into the falcon and he joined her. She reached up, removing her helmet and smiling at him.

Jun reached up and removed his own helmet. He grinned across the falcon at Six. "Sure thing, ma'am." He pantomimed zipping his lips shut and leaned back in his seat, taking in the privilege of being able to look at Six's face.


	16. Leader

**Pairing: Fred-104/Kelly-087**

**Title: leader**

Fred shifted to make himself more comfortable. His armor was fine for combat but sitting around inside of Onyx like they were was not what it had been made for. He was sitting on the edge of a cliff, legs dangling over the edge, looking down at the river below that wound through the valley. There was so much to see inside of this world and it was all beautiful and untouched by humans. He removed his helmet and set it down beside him, letting his mind wander.

"I was wondering where you went." Fred looked back and smiled as Kelly walked to his side. She sat down on the cliff with him. Her hands moved up and removed her helmet, setting it to the side. "What's eating you?"

"It's nothing." Kelly crossed her arms over her chest and Fred sighed. "Fine, but I don't see why you'd want to hear my problems."

"I'm your Blue Two, remember. That means I have to have your back. Sometimes that means hearing your problems." Kelly moved her hand over so it lightly bumped his. Fred understood exactly how important it was. Kelly had the best reflexes out of all of the Spartans so even the lightest touch spoke volumes from her.

"I'm just, confused I guess. I know that John made me Blue One, but that was only supposed to be for that one mission on Reach. Now I'm a Lieutenant and I'm in charge of what remains of the Spartan twos and threes." Fred shook his head. "I'm not cut out to be a leader. I don't understand why Kurt made me a Lieutenant. Out of all of us John's the one that deserves that rank, not me. I'm not meant to lead the Spartans."

"How can you be sure of that? You did a fine job on Reach, look how many of us are alive even though we shouldn't be. You got Linda and Will through fighting on Earth, though I'm sorry I wasn't there with you." Kelly shrugged. "So you aren't like John, that's not a bad thing. You have different styles of leading. Both of them are good." Kelly turned to look out at the river. She then turned back to him and raised her hand to his cheek, moving his head so he was looking directly at her. "You are a good leader, Fred. You need to stop doubting yourself."

Fred smiled and leaned forward, letting his forehead rest against hers. She didn't pull back. He looked into her eyes and frowned slightly. "It still should be John. He's always been our leader."

Kelly shrugged. "Maybe it should be, but it's not. We don't even know if John is still alive."

Fred moved a bit away from Kelly and she frowned at him. "You know I've always come in second. Second best sniper, second best in hand-to-hand, second best at everything. It has never bothered me before, I actually preferred it. For some reason this time it annoys me." Fred noticed the confused look on her face. "I love you, Kelly. And I know that you love John." His hand reached over and moved to her arm. "For once, I don't like coming in second place to him." He saw the hurt look on Kelly's face. "But I'll learn to deal with it."

Fred leaned forward and Kelly met him half way and their lips met. He pulled away after a minute. Kelly smiled at him. "I think I found something you're the best at." Her hand moved to the back of his head, running through his slightly shaggy hair. None of them had had a haircut in so long. "You really do worry too much. You're already ahead of John. He never loved me."

Fred drew her closer to him. "Then maybe John wasn't as smart as I thought." He closed the gap once more, wrapping his arms around Kelly's waist.


	17. The Dream

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: The Dream**

* * *

John rolled over, arm reaching out but finding nothing. His eyes opened and he looked at the other half of the bed, finding the sheets messed up but void of anyone. He sat up and looked around; there should have been someone there. _She_ should have been there. He got out of bed and got dressed. He walked down the stairs, walking toward the kitchen.

The white tile was cold underfoot, and John looked out the kitchen window, shocked by what he saw. The landscape outside was unmistakably Reach. That wasn't possible. Reach had been glassed, he'd seen the burnt planet himself. It had been a miracle that there had been enough of the planet not glassed that any Spartans had survived at all.

"Morning, dad." John turned and stopped as he spotted a smiling six-year-old face. He studied the child for a moment. He recognized her. The girl looked just like she had when he'd first met her, but this girl had brown eyes. The young girl smiled and he noticed that she was missing one of her front teeth. She frowned as he stared at her. "What's wrong?"

He looked around, then back to the little girl. She had called him dad, so she must be his daughter. She wasn't who he was looking for, though. "Where's your mother?"

"She's upstairs with Sam. She's helping him prepare for the first day of school." The little girl looked back to her cereal.

John nodded and moved out of the kitchen, leaving his daughter to her breakfast. He moved through the house, passing through the living room, eyeing the wall of photos. There were shots of Spartans receiving medals, a shot of him and his daughter sitting in a park, a young boy with a wide grin sitting next to his daughter. He found it odd there were no pictures of her on the wall. He was vaguely aware of where all the pictures of her were. They were in his office on the second story of the house. He wasn't sure how he knew it but he did.

John made his way up the stairs and glanced down the hallway. From the stairs, the upper floor stretched both ways. He looked down the way he'd originally come from, staring at the oak door of the master bedroom. He knew that she wasn't that way. John turned and moved down the hallway in the opposite direction.

He passed a room, stopping for a moment to read the sign on the door. The name Catherine was etched into a metal plaque. He lightly pushed the door open and looked into the room. The walls were painted a sky blue and were hung with pictures of elites, ODST, and Spartans. He smiled slightly. He should have expected such things from his daughter.

A door near the end of the hallway opened and an eight-year-old child ran into the hallway. The brown-haired child skidded to a halt, staring up at John. His blue eyes sparkled in joy. "Thank you, daddy." The boy moved forward, wrapping his arms around John's legs. John knelt down and smiled at the boy. This had to be his son, the boy in the pictures downstairs. The boy took a step back and stood up tall. "I love it." He tugged on his shirt and John looked down at the clothing. He wore a pair of camouflage pants and an olive green shirt with the Spartan eagle on it.

"It looks good on you, Sammy." He reached out, ruffling his son's hair. "Where's your mother?"

"In my room. I'm going to go show Kat." Sam ran around his father and toward the stairs.

"Careful going down the stairs."

Sam stopped and saluted his father. "Yes, sir."

He smiled as he watched his son move away. He turned around to find himself staring into beautiful blue eyes. Arms wrapped around his neck and she moved closer to him. "Hey there handsome." Her lips found his and they shared a gentle kiss. She pulled away, resting her head on his chest. "You were right. He loved the shirt."

"I knew he would, he is our son after all." John grinned as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. "Nervous about Catherine's first day?" Today would be their daughter's first day of elementary school. It was a big step in the young girl's life.

She shook her head. "No, she's just like her father. She'll be fine. Sam though, takes after his mother."

"Well, then he'll be just fine as well. Hopefully he won't get in any fight this year." John smirked as he remembered being called by the school about how Sam had gotten in a fight. Their son had claimed that he was protecting his friend who a bully was picking on. He'd argued that his actions had been appropriate for the situation and that the crime would have been if he had stood by and done nothing. It was hard to argue and they'd been forced to fall back on the classic, because we said so, argument.

She looked up at him and chuckled. "I love you, John."

The words warmed John's heart. There was something in the way that she said it that made him happy. "Kelly,"

John's eyes fluttered open and he looked out, into the empty haul of the ship. He remembered, the Ark, trying to get away, being lost in deep space and putting himself into cryo-sleep. The door to the tube opened and John looked around, trying to figure out why he had been awakened. He looked out at the control terminal where he'd left Cortana. He found himself staring at the figure of a Spartan in MJOLNIR armor. It was sleeker, more cut down than his current suit, so he guessed it was an upgrade. The dome-shaped EVA helmet stared at him.


	18. One Heart

**Pair: Tom/Lucy**

**Title: One Heart**

**Note: Wrote this while in physics. What a great use of my time and my dad's money.  
**

* * *

Tom walked through the forest, gazing around. Fred had sent him and Lucy to scout out to the west of their current camp. They'd spent the last several months making their way through the shield world and so far they had found nothing. The inside of Onyx was enormous and varied greatly. They'd already traveled across rocky terrain, forests that carried from evergreens to rainforest, and a bleak desert area. They'd made camp by a river surrounded by oaks. From there Fred had split them into pairs and they set off in each direction to look for any sign of which way to go.

Tom paused and glanced over at Lucy. She carefully made her way through the forest. They hadn't bothered with their camouflage units for this mission. They didn't want to wear them out if there was a chance they would be needed later. Without the camouflage she was easy to spot, even in the shadows of the trees.

Lucy halted and flashed an amber light on Tom's HUD. He moved through the forest quietly to her side. She pointed through the trees to the opening of a cave. Tom frowned as he turned his attention to her find. He increased the magnification of his HUD and spotted a slight glow in the darkness. He hesitated for a moment as he chose what course of action to take. Should they report it or investigate more? He finally decided and motioned for Lucy to follow.

They crept toward the cave carefully, keeping one eye on the sky for any signs of drones. Tom had insisted on taking the lead, though it had earned him a punch to the shoulder. He moved to his stomach and crawled forward. When he spotted what was inside he froze.

A hand grabbed and tugged on his leg. Tom looked back at Lucy. He rose to his feet and she followed suit. Tom walked into the cave and Lucy hesitantly followed. Tom only walked a couple feet into the cave, but as soon as Lucy saw what had caused the glow she continued into the cave further.

The walls were covered with small crystals that glowed a brilliant blue in the darkness. Tom watched as light danced over the hardened plates of Lucy's SPI armor as she moved. She reached out to the wall and it caused an odd play of light over her armor where she blocked part of it. She reached up and removed her helmet. The light made her pale skin look like it was glowing.

Tom removed his own helmet, letting it hang loosely in his hand at his side. It seemed like an eternity since he had seen Lucy's face instead of just her helmet. She turned toward him and smiled as she saw his face. She moved over to him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him deeper into the darkness. She pulled him all the way in until they could no longer see the light of day.

Lucy pulled him to stand before her. She grabbed his wrist and raised his hand, moving his fingers. She moved his thumb so it was only a few degrees below parallel and bent his fingers at the joint. She made the same shape with her hand and put it up against his to make a heart. She pointed to him, then her, then moved her hand to bring his attention back to their touching hands.

Tom paused for a moment, trying to decipher. This was something completely new to him. They had their little rituals, their ways of showing affection, but this was brand new. He finally put the pieces together. Each of them was really only half of who they were. Together they made one person with one heart.

Tom hesitated for a moment before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She didn't respond right away and Tom feared that he had crossed a line. Just as he was about to pull away she leaned in toward him. They broke away after a minute and Tom leaned forward so his forehead was resting against Lucy's. He felt an understanding of her life for just a second. As he stood there he couldn't speak, couldn't find words or even sounds.

They had been together since they were little kids, had been through so much. He'd loved Lucy as long as he could remember, yet over all those years he was only now able to work up the courage to initiate such contact. To him, though, it had been worth the wait.


	19. Discovery

Discovery

Kelly moved through the ship, being careful of her movements. With how quickly she moved and the multiplying speed of her armor even one wrong twitch could send her tumbling. She was careful about how much force she used and the speed of her limbs as she pushed herself along the hall. Kelly griped the metal of the wall as she keyed the door. It slid open, but only a couple inches.

"The ship seems to be low on power. It has likely been here for several years." The calm male voice filtered through her speakers.

"Thank you, I never could have figured that out on my own, Gabriel. It's not like there's no gravity or anything." At times the AI was useful to her, but at times he was a smartass. She moved to the side of the door, setting her feet against the wall. Her fingers grabbed the small opening in the door and she used her superhuman strength to force the door open. She held on tight to the metal, bending it a bit to make a handhold as the entrance slid open.

Kelly moved through the doorway, looking around at the empty space. A Nav marker appeared on her HUD indicating the location of a terminal. "That is where the signal is originating from."

"Thank you, Gabriel." Kelly set her feet against the wall and, with one push, sent herself toward the terminal. Her fingers reached out, gripping the terminal as she passed it. Kelly secured her feet and held herself in place as she tapped the controls. The holotank came to life and a female figure stood on the pedestal. Kelly recognized the figure. It was Cortana.

"Is everything all right? I am detecting a spike in your pulse." Gabriel's voice held a hint of worry. The smart AI tried so hard to keep emotion from his voice, but sometimes he just couldn't help it.

"I'm fine, Gabe, just excited. If Cortana is here, then he has to be here." Kelly looked around and spotted the few pods that were still sitting against the walls. "Gabriel, can you find him?"

"I am sorry, Petty Officer. I would have to have access to the systems, but there is another AI in them."

"Wow, what's with the 'Petty Officer'? Did I say something wrong?" Kelly frowned.

"I would rather not discuss it, ma'am." Gabriel's avatar showed up on the corner of her HUD. He was frowning and refusing to look at her.

"Fine, but can you request that Cortana find him?" Kelly looked at the AI. "And whatever I said, I'm sorry."

"It's not something you said." Data flashed behind Gabriel. "She says that she has begun the waking sequence. It seems he was in stasis while he waited to be rescued."

Kelly allowed them to slip into silence, looking down at the pedestal. Cortana seemed to be studying Kelly. It made the Spartan feel uncomfortable. She didn't like being studied that way. There was also a look on the AI's face that made Kelly feel like Cortana wasn't happy to see them. She waited uneasily under the female AI's gaze while Cortana completed defrosting the other Spartan.

"Is something wrong? You seem uneasy, ma'am." Gabriel's head tilted to the side. "Might I inquire as to what it is?"

"I don't like the way that Cortana's looking at me." Kelly shifted a bit, moving her hold on the terminal so it was more comfortable. She turned as a motion caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Kelly saw the lid of the cryo-pod open.

Kelly studied John as he pulled himself carefully out of the tube and moved over to the data terminal. Kelly watched as Cortana turned to him. Her mouth moved, but Kelly heard no words. The AI was ignoring her. Kelly noted the slight movement as John replied to her. She felt left out, almost wishing that Gabriel would chime in with a witty remark just so she wasn't standing in silence. John then turned to Kelly, staring at her. Kelly reached out, swiping two of her fingers across his faceplate, the classic Spartan smile. John swiped his own fingers across his faceplate, returning the gesture.

John then removed Cortana's data matrix from the terminal and slid it into his armor. "That was ill-advised." John turned toward Kelly again as Gabriel spoke. "That AI is possibly rampant. Allowing it into your armor was possibly not a wise action. Though I believe that the old Mark VI armor systems are less advanced then the new Mark VII armor. It is likely less of a risk. Does the Mark VI contain the carrier protection system?" John's head cocked to the side in confusion. Kelly couldn't help but smile. "I take it from your reaction that it doesn't."

"I'm not even aware of what that system is." John's voice echoed in Kelly's ears and her eyes closed for just a moment. She didn't realize how much she'd missed it.

"It is a system in the Mark VII armor that allows an AI to take temporary control of its carrier in the event of unconsciousness." Gabriel crossed his arms and frowned. "I have enacted it several times in order to protect my carrier from further injury."

"Wouldn't have needed it if you had warned me ahead of time," Kelly said so only the AI could hear her. She motioned to John to follow her. She then pushed off from the terminal and propelled herself toward the door. She gripped the door frame and looked over her shoulder. John was staring at her and she frowned. She wasn't sure what he was waiting for. She motioned to him again and then slipped through the doorway and down the hall.

When she reached the end she looked over her shoulder and spotted John at the other doorway. At least he was following her. She continued, making her way to the pelican in the hanger. She stopped herself, grabbing the railing of the catwalk above the pelican. John joined her shortly. She pushed off from the railing and let herself float down to the pelican, gripping the side and pulling herself inside.

She nodded to the ODSTs that were inside the ship—two secured into seats, while a third was floating in the rear of the pelican. John passed Kelly and moved toward the front. Kelly moved to his side and motioned for him to take a seat. She then moved to the pilot's seat, securing herself in as best she could in the tight space.

Gabriel's avatar appeared on the screen. His image was a pure white and his long hair was tied back in a ponytail. His suit was perfectly pressed and spotless. Bird wings were tucked tight to his back. "We'll be back on the _Gardenia_ in a matter of minutes. The medical bay has been alerted to our little discovery."

Kelly nodded to him and sat back and waited. The pelican's engines flared to life and it slowly eased out of the ship, turning and angling toward a waiting UNSC frigate. The flight back was silent, which was odd to Kelly. Gabriel usually used these times to chat her up or try flirting with her. It was a bit cute as they both knew that the AI mainly did it for fun.

The pelican circled through the airlocks and eased to land inside of the hanger. Kelly moved out of the pilot's seat, glad to be back in gravity. She walked to the back of the pelican and down the ramp into the hanger. She could feel John right behind her.

A medical officer walked over to them. "Master Chief, sir, please come with me."

John hesitated for a minute, as though not wanting to leave her. She smiled at this, though she supposed it was only because he felt more comfortable around another Spartan. He reluctantly moved away, following the medical officer.

Kelly watched him leave, moving away through the ship. She made her way to the lab area, where they removed her armor. She had to admit that it was much easier for them to remove the Mark VII armor then it had for any armor she'd had in the past. When they finished she made her way to the room that she'd been using as a barracks. It was nice to have a room all to herself. It meant that she didn't have to bother with the insults and such she sometimes got from other soldiers.

Kelly sat down on her cot and lay down.

"Petty Officer?"

Kelly sat back up and glared at the hologram of Gabriel. "That's it, I've had enough." She stood up and walked over to the image. "What's with all this Petty Officer stuff? You never call me that."

"I'm sorry, Kelly. I suppose that you could say that I'm jealous." Gabriel looked away from her, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"About what? About John? Gabriel, you're an AI. You know that that can't be, and I don't feel that way." Kelly frowned at the AI. He'd talked of being very connected to Kelly in the past, but had assured her it was only friendship.

"It's not that; really, I understand that. I was just a bit jealous. You were so excited at the idea that it was even him. You've never been that excited to see me before." Gabriel finally looked up at her.

"Well, I've never been separated from you for years on end. You and I haven't even been separated by more than just you being in the ship systems and me being a passenger on the ship. That's not the same as a lifelong friend being lost, presumed dead, and then you finding him." Gabriel stared at her, shaking his head. "Fine, more than a friend. The point is, if you and I had been separated for that long, I would be excited to see you again."

"I would think you would not be, Kelly. At that point I would likely be rampant, not even the kind of personality I am at this moment. You would likely only recognize my avatar, not me." Gabriel's voice held a hint of sadness.

"You know, I always wondered why it was that John went through all that they told us that he did in order to get Cortana back. Since working with you, I understand." She smiled at the AI.

Gabriel smiled back. "I love you, bunny."

"Rabbit, thank you very much." Kelly looked over, having realized that the door was open. John walked in and she smiled at him. "Welcome back aboard a working UNSC ship, Chief."

John stared at her, looking her over. "It's good to be back. Heard that the war's over."

"Yeah, mainly thanks to you." Kelly moved over to him and smiled up at him. She remembered a time, long ago, when she had been taller than him.

John frowned a bit. "Not just me. It took many years and the lives of many soldiers, including a lot of our friends."

"Wow, you really know how to kill a cheerful mood." Kelly sighed and shook her head. "Not all of us are dead, so try to be a little happy."

"I am happy." He took a step toward her. His hand reached out and touched her side. Kelly felt a shiver run through her body at the contact. "I'm happy that you're alive." Her arms wrapped around his neck.

Kelly smiled up at him. "Best discovery I've ever made on an empty ship."


	20. Found

Found

John stared at the EVA helmeted Spartan. He moved slowly and carefully to ensure that he wouldn't send himself tumbling. He pushed himself forward, toward the terminal where Cortana's avatar stood. He gripped the metal carefully to insure he didn't float away.

Cortana turned to him and smiled. "Did you have a nice sleep, Chief?"

"I wish you hadn't woken me. I was having a nice dream." John could only slightly remember his dream from only a moment ago. He remembered a house, a pair of smiling children, and a feeling of complete relaxation and peace. John turned to look at the other Spartan, studying her armor. He had never seen the armor before, it was slim and sleek.

The other Spartan reached out, swiping her fingers across his faceplate. He felt the memories flood back of Kelly on Reach, doing the same thing. He reached up, swiping his own fingers across his faceplate. The action felt odd since he hadn't had anything to smile about in a long time, and at the same time, not enough. He wanted to reach out and hug the Spartan, glad to know that any Spartans had lived at all. He wouldn't allow himself to believe at it could actually be Kelly.

John turned to the terminal once more and reached down, retrieving Cortana. He slid the chip into the back of his helmet. "That was ill-advised." The smooth male voice was foreign to John. He looked over at the other Spartan. He couldn't tell through the armor if the soldier was male or female. "That AI is possibly rampant. Allowing it into your armor was possibly not a wise action. Though I believe that the old Mark VI armor systems are less advanced then the new mark VII armor. It is likely less of a risk. Does the Mark VI contain the carrier protection system?"

John stared at the other Spartan, tilting his head to the side. He didn't know at all what the voice was talking about. He was sure now that the voice wasn't human. Even a Spartan wouldn't talk that way. Likely it was an AI. The voice continued. "I take it from your reaction that it doesn't."

"I'm not even aware of what that system is," John said.

"It is a system in the Mark VII armor that allows an AI to take temporary control of its carrier in the event of unconsciousness." The voice was cold as it explained. "I have enacted it several times in order to protect my carrier from further injury."

There was an odd bob of the other Spartan's head as the soldier spoke to the AI. He couldn't hear a thing and felt left out of the conversation. He wondered if that was similar to how people felt when he talked to Cortana. The Spartan motioned to him and then pushed away from the terminal. He watched the soldier float through the ship toward the doorway. He stayed where he was, watching her move. He was sure it was a female Spartan. Only the women had that much skill and grace even in zero gravity. The Spartan stopped at the doorway, looking back at him. She once more motioned to him to follow.

John found himself following after her. He didn't even remember moving away from the terminal. "Are you all right, Chief?" Cortana sounded worried in his ear.

"I'm fine, just still a little out of it. I did just come out of cryo-stasis." John gripped the doorway, stopping his movement. He looked down the hallway and saw the other Spartan. "Kelly." He didn't mean to say the word out loud but as he saw her, he knew it was her.

"You mean Spartan-087?" Cortana's voice held a tone that John couldn't identify. He had never heard it before from the AI.

John didn't reply. He moved through the ship, following Kelly until she reached the railing. He grabbed the metal and brought himself to a stop beside her. He watched as she easily swung herself around and then pushed off, down toward a waiting pelican. John watched her for a second before he followed after her.

He pulled himself into the pelican behind her, spotting the gathered ODSTs inside. They stared at him, seeming to be surprised by the sight of a second Spartan. John passed Kelly and stopped near the front of the ship. "They don't seem to be battle-ready. That seems to be a good sign." Cortana's voice seemed back to normal, the odd tone gone from earlier.

"That might just mean that there's nothing here to fight. Not that the war is over." John looked over as Kelly passed him and moved to the pilot's seat. He moved to the side of the ship, sitting down in a seat and securing himself in as best as he could.

John glanced up toward the front of the ship, spotting the image of the AI's avatar. He'd never seen anything like it. The AI's image was pure white, long hair tied back in a ponytail, clean pressed suit, and angel wings tucked against its back. Its mouth moved but John didn't hear any words.

John tightened his harness as the pelican's engines started up. He stared at the other Spartan as their smaller craft moved through space toward a frigate. "Sadly, it seems that all of my codes are out of date. I could still hack into the com network if you would like me to?" It was obvious that Cortana was hoping he would request it.

"No, that's not needed. This Spartan has an AI that's connected to the com. I don't see a reason to hack the system if there is no need." John felt the ship slow and they cycled through the ship's airlocks. They landed and the rear of the pelican slid open. Staff hurried about in the hanger, going from here to there with crates or equipment. John unhooked himself and watched as Kelly passed him. He was right on her heels, feeling more secure around the other Spartan.

A medical officer walked over to them. "Master Chief, sir, please come with me."

John paused for a minute. He didn't want to leave the company of the other Spartan yet. He felt secure about the familiar around this Spartan. He also wanted to know which Spartan it was. Reluctantly he followed the medical officer.

The man led him to the medical bay. They stripped away his armor. He found it odd that they weren't careful with it. Likely they were going to fit him for one of the new Mark VII armor. They had a problem with Cortana. She was reluctant to remove herself from the suit's systems, afraid that they would terminate her. They eventually had to convince her that since they couldn't determine if she was at all damaged that they couldn't delete her. Not to mention the amount of valuable information she still had stored that ONI would want. Cortana finally agreed and was placed in the ship's systems.

They did a complete medical examination of John, ensuring that he had no major injuries. The medic that was examining him kept talking the whole time. He found that it had been five years since he had vanished and that the war had been over for four years. The living Spartans had been found only four months after his disappearance. The Covenant species had either gone back to their own worlds or, like the elites, were allied with the UNSC to try to preserve peace.

When they finished the exam and John was finally given the green light they gave him a room number. John made his way through the ship, getting odd looks from plenty of the soldiers. He heard a few of them mutter something about how they only thought there was one Spartan or how they thought the Spartan was a girl.

John reached the room, double-checking the number before he keyed the door and it slid open. He looked in and spotted Kelly, talking to the AI he had seen earlier. "I love you, Bunny." The AI smiled at Kelly.

"Rabbit, thank you very much." A returning smile was spread over Kelly's face. She turned toward John as he walked in. "Welcome back aboard a working UNSC ship, Chief." Her words were light, like they'd seen each other only hours before. As though he hadn't been missing for five years and it hadn't been seven since he'd seen her.

John's eyes roamed over her. He made note of the scars over her body. She had fought hard in the war, and it showed. The memory of his dream flashed in his mind and he remembered her smiling face. "It's good to be back. Heard that the war's over."

"Yeah, mainly thanks to you." Kelly moved closer to him and John felt the urge to pull her against him. He pushed it aside. He did not think she would approve of the action.

John frowned as his mind thought about it. The war hadn't been won thanks to him. He remembered Johnson, Sam, Miranda, all of them lost. "Not just me. It took many years and the lives of many soldiers, including a lot of our friends."

"Wow, you really know how to kill a cheerful mood." Kelly shook her head and John felt bad. This was supposed to be a good moment, them being reunited, but he had gone and ruined it. Her voice became gentle and soft. "Not all of us are dead, so try to be a little happy."

"I am happy." John really was. He had missed Kelly. John took a step toward Kelly and she didn't back up. He was careful, his hand reaching out and moving to her side. The warmth of her body sent electricity through him and he felt her shiver under the touch. "I'm happy you're alive." John couldn't help himself. He'd feared that Kelly was dead when Dr. Halsey took her away. He felt her hands wrap around his neck, pulling him closer.

Kelly smiled up at him. "Best discovery I've ever made on an empty ship," she said.


	21. Bonds

**Pairing: Kat/MaleSix**

**Requested by: I don't remember**

**Title: Bond  
**

* * *

Six didn't see the shot, only heard it. He turned his gaze from the members of Noble who stood in the shelter's doorway. He was instantly aware that she was falling and he reacted. His arms slipped around her to catch the Lieutenant Commander. Her body was limp in his arms.

He knelt down looking down at her visor. It took only a fraction of a second for him to realize what had happened.

Anger spread through his veins at the realization. Without a second thought he grabbed the pistol from her hip, the one she always used. He turned the gun skyward to the hovering phantom. Six spotted the sniper perched on its side. In his fury he couldn't identify species or rank, only that it carried a needler rifle.

Six fired, slightly aware of the battle rifle fire from the rest of the team. The phantom rose and started to turn away. The figure slipped back into the protection of the ship. Six's pistol clicked empty and he cursed.

The shouts of the civilians for them to hurry filled his ears. Did none of them understand what had happened? Carter's voice broke through his reverie and Six snapped out of his rage. He slipped his arms under Kat's elbows and pulled her toward the doorway. The other Spartans were still watching the sky.

Why couldn't they have been watching the skies earlier? They could have saved her.

The thud of the doors closing echoed in Six's head. He stared down at the shattered face plate. He felt helpless, just like he had with Jorge. It was different this time. She hadn't died in a selfless act to try to save the planet. She'd been taken by a coward sniper. On top of all of that, Six had failed to kill Kat's killer.

Six hung his head in shame and pain. He'd grown close to Kat in the last week. She'd proven to be brilliant with tech and strong support in combat. She'd stood by him through SWORD base and had his back when the invasion began.

Carter had told Six that Kat would likely be the last person to warm up to him. She was the most reluctant about a replacement. It had taken time. Carter had seemed happy with him and Emile was neutral toward him. Jorge had been friendly and seemed to want him around. After their assault on the power house Jun was pleasant toward him. It wasn't until they'd taken down the spire that Kat accept him. At the time, when she'd seemed to warm up to him, he'd been so relieved. He liked Kat, and felt a bond with her that he'd never had with anyone else. He guessed that was why her death hurt so much. It hurt like he'd lost a lifelong friend.

He knew that he would never hear her voice again or see her smirk. Something was just depressing about those facts. It hit him like a wraith tank. There had been a deeper bond that he'd felt for her. In the short time he'd known her he'd fallen for the female Spartan.

A hand settled on Six's shoulder and he looked up to see Carter. "There was nothing you could have done."

Six stood and looked down at Kat. "It isn't fair. It shouldn't have happened."

Carter removed his helmet and moved to Kat's side. "It may have been unfair, but it happened." The words were barely audible. Six examined his Commander and frowned. Hazel eyes gazed unfocused at the body before him.

"You and she were close?" Six wanted to look away. He felt like he was intruding on a very private moment. One he had no right to witness.

"She and I were the only surviving members of the original Noble. We were very close." Something in Carter's tone made Six aware that they had been more than just teammates or even friends.

Six felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Here he had only been a member of the team for a short while and he was falling for the woman who belonged to his CO. He couldn't help his attraction to Kat. He supposed it didn't matter anymore. In less than a second the Covenant had taken her from them. Oddly, Six felt a new bond with Carter. They had both just lost the woman that they loved.

"Could you… could you leave me alone to say goodbye?" Carter didn't look up from the body as he spoke.

Six nodded. He didn't say another word before he walked over to the others. Jun and Emile looked at him then over to Carter and Kat. "I always knew there was something there." Jun looked down toward the floor.

Emile didn't say a word. He just turned away from the private scene. Six remained silent as well. He moved over to the wall and slid down to sit with his back resting on it. He stared down at the ground trying not to look at Carter and Kat. He didn't want to be reminded that she was dead, or that he never really had a chance from the start.


	22. Starry Night

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Starry night**

**Note: This references the Halo 3 trailer but takes place after it.  
**

* * *

John stared up at the starry sky above him. He examined the locations of the stars and could point out all the constellations they had been taught by Deja.

"You know, we haven't done this since we were little kids." John turned to look at the source of the words. Kelly lay only inches away from him, gazing at the sky.

"We haven't really had a chance." John stared at her as he spoke. He memorized the way the moonlight fell on her face. She looked toward him and he tore his gaze from her and turned to the sky. He felt oddly embarrassed that she had caught him staring at her.

"What's wrong?" Kelly's hand moved over and lightly nudged his.

"I was just thinking about the last time we stargazed. We were talking about life out there." He tried to keep his eyes on sky but they traveled to the woman beside him.

"I remember. You said that if they existed that you'd want to meet them." Kelly smiled. "You change your mind?"

John shook his head. "No, I still want to meet them. I want to know everything about them."

Kelly frowned at him. "Humanity fights with itself. What makes you think that these aliens would be nice and wouldn't end up fighting us? What if our first contact ends up with them deciding that we all should die?"

"That's a bit of a dark thought, Kelly. There's alien life out there and it would want to kill us?" John frowned at the idea. He liked to believe that if there was life out there that it would at least give them a chance. John sat up and moved to hold himself partially over Kelly. "I'd rather focus on something more pleasant."

Kelly looked up at him, confused. "Like what exactly?"

"Like the way you look in the moonlight." John wasn't exactly sure where he was coming up with the words. The moment felt more like a dream then reality. But this wasn't a dream. He stared down at her. He remembered the recent dreams he had been having that had involved Kelly and himself. This was his chance to turn them from dreams to reality. "Would you mind…I mean…could I…Would you not want…"

Kelly groaned. "Whatever it is spit it out. You look pitiful stuttering like that." Her tone was light and teasing.

"Can I kiss you?" John blurted out the words. He felt heat rise to his cheeks and neck. He'd never really been one to blush, so the embarrassment was odd to him.

"I thought you would never ask." Kelly's hand pulled him down and he let her lead him. The kiss was awkward at first but they managed to figure out what they were doing. They broke apart for air but Kelly kept him close. "I've always loved you, John."

John was stunned by the words as Kelly said them. He hadn't been expecting anything like that from her. She pulled him back to her and all thoughts of the words vanished from his mind as their lips met.


	23. What is a Spartan?

**Pairing: Jorge/Emile**

**Title: What is a Spartan?  
**

* * *

Jorge walked into the Noble Team barracks. He stopped as he saw Emile sitting on his cot. The violent Spartan was sharpening his combat knife and looked up only for a second as the Spartan II entered the room. Emile huffed and then spoke"I don't see why you do stuff like that." Jorge turned to look over at the other Spartan. The Spartan hadn't stopped sharpening his weapon. "You do realize what you are?"

Jorge removed his helmet, always preferring to talk face to face with people rather than behind his helmet. He tossed it down onto his own cot. "Do what? Try to put the mind of these soldiers at ease?" He took a few steps over toward Emile. "I do realize what I am. I'm a Spartan, a soldier, and human."

Emile chuckled and slipped the knife back into its place on his armor. "Human, you really think we are human." The scratched-up EVA helmet shook. "We aren't humans, we're Spartans."

"And Spartans are humans." Jorge frowned slightly. He and Emile had had this argument a number of times in the past. It always seemed to end the same way.

Emile snorted and his head shook slightly. "You really think that we're humans? All we are is weapons. We are sent out to kill everything that gets in our path."

"We don't kill civilians. Our job is to save them." Jorge moved to sit down on his cot beside Emile's. He wasn't sure if it was the Commander's sick way of making them have to deal with each other, or if Kat had just convinced him to do it because she thought it would be funny. He was pretty sure that it was the latter. Kat could convince Carter of anything.

"They just aren't in our list of things to kill. An AI is programmed not to hurt people, but they are still only weapons. Things to be used to destroy the Covenant and defeat insurrectionists." Emile shifted on his cot so his legs were hanging of the edge and he was facing Jorge. "We are nothing but weapons."

"Never thought of an AI as a weapon, really. Maybe a tool to help people, but never a weapon." Jorge leaned a bit forward. "We are people, humans."

"You just keep telling yourself that, big man. Maybe one day it will be true. Though maybe one day we'll be standing alongside the Covenant in peace." Emile huffed. "You just need to accept what you are. Things will be easier after that."

Jorge looked down at the floor and frowned. "I was told that I would be protecting humanity. I don't see how someone that isn't human could do that."

"Simple, the same way that a Shotgun can protect humanity. If you give it to a trained soldier, like a colonel or an admiral, like when they assign one to give us orders, then it can kill anything." Emile glanced over to the wall where he kept a shotgun leaning against it. "Just accept that you are a weapon to be used by humanity."

Jorge shook his head. "No, that is not what we are. We are people." He looked up and his soft kind eyes looked into the carved-in eyes of the assaults specialist. "If you took off that helmet every once in a while maybe you'd remember that."

Jorge reached up toward Emile's helmet and the violent Spartan smacked it away. "You go ahead and keep believing your little dream about being anything other than a killing machine." Emile lay down on his cot and rolled over so his back was facing the Spartan II. "I'm not human."

Jorge's gaze turned to the floor and his large shoulders slumped. "Maybe one of these days, you'll trust me enough to tell me why it is that you're so set on not being human."

"I'm not set on not being human." Jorge looked up, having only barely caught Emile's words. Emile's voice was quiet and hesitant, completely opposite of the blunt and loud Spartan Jorge was becoming so close to. "I just can't be a human."

"Why not?"

Emile was silent and Jorge feared that he had overstepped some invisible line. "I can't be a human, because my human half is dead. It died with her."

Jorge was shocked. He had never heard such an open statement from the Spartan III. "I'm sure there's a little more human in you, somewhere." Jorge smiled slightly. "I'm sure we'll find it."

Emile sat back up and looked over at Jorge. They sat in silence for several minutes and Jorge could swear he felt the other man smiling at him. "You sure do have some weird delusions."

Jorge chuckled slightly at Emile's words. He looked down toward the floor. "Would she be happy with what you are?"

The cheerful air vanished and was replaced by an air of hostility. "She was what I am." Jorge's hand reached over and gripped Emile's arm. The Spartan III glanced down at the hand and then back up at Noble Five. He looked away, staring at his feet. "She would be…I think. She'd want me to be happy, and I am happy being what I am."

"Well, then I'm sure she's happy for you." Jorge removed his hand. "If that is what makes you happy, then I won't fight you on what you are. Please, though…Respect what I am."

"Whatever you say, big man." Emile reached up and removed his helmet, setting it on his pillow. Jorge smiled as he gazed on the face of his friend. "You know, I think you and I, we're going to be very close."


	24. Decision

**Pairing: John/Kelly Fred/Kelly**

**Title: Decision**

**Note: this is replacing too late. That chapter was not at all what I wanted this to go so I've completely rewritten it.  
**

* * *

John stared at the woman across from him. His mind had been plagued with thoughts of her. His dream in cryo was still fresh in his mind, though she'd found him weeks ago. He wasn't sure what he should do. He remembered the promise he'd made to himself, that if he saw her again he'd tell her how he felt about her. Although he'd pushed it down years ago, the feelings had never gone away.

His dream had reminded him of all those feelings. Of the wish he'd once had that one day he and Kelly could be a family, live a life like civilians. When they'd been augmented, he had ignored all of those old dreams. He didn't seem them as possible anymore. His view had changed once more.

Kelly had told him about how things had been in the years he had missed. The Spartans were no longer being dropped into heavy combat areas or taking down rebel factions through the universe. They were placed more on guard duty of political and military figures as they traveled from planet to planet. It was all really just for show.

When not on one of these missions, or actually on a serious mission to deal with riots, the Spartans had what could be considered a civilian life for them. They'd been given special quarters on a base on Earth and they were basically left alone. Kelly had informed him that they still continued training, and took part in training exercises with boot camp trainees from time to time, but most often they were free to do what they liked.

It was a beacon of hope for John. It might mean that he was able to have his dream, have Kelly and a family, a peaceful life. He felt a bit selfish about wanting to have that peaceful life. He should be a soldier until the day he dies, but a part of him was tired. He'd been through so much and he wasn't sure if he wanted to keep going in the same fashion he had. The Covenant had been disbanded, the elites now their friends, and the flood was gone. What more could humanity ask of him? Had he not already done enough? Could he not have his happy ending with the literal girl of his dreams?

Kelly noticed him staring at her and he turned his gaze down to his food. He was afraid of how she might react if he did tell her. Would she be willing to be with him again? Even after they had broken it off as teens, she had always showed him affection. He wasn't sure though how much of it was still just the deep friendship between them, and what might have been the love they shared. He wasn't even sure if what he felt was love. He didn't have any real gauge for the emotion, it was just deeper and stronger than the connection he had with anyone else. Did that actually make it love?

"Nervous?" John looked up at Kelly when she spoke. "I know that the idea of just sitting around isn't really appealing, almost scary, but you'll get used to it. It might take a while, though."

"It's not really a position that I thought we'd ever be in." He looked back down at his food. He'd really only picked at it. "So how long until we can go planet-side?"

"Fifteen minutes. They are just finishing checking in and then we'll be going down in the first Pelican off the ship." Kelly smiled and the sight lifted John's spirit. It was hard to be nervous or gloomy when Kelly smiled. "Then you can see Fred and Linda again. They should both be on base. You can also meet the Spartan IIIs."

"I am interested in actually getting to see them. From what you've told me, they should be…educational to meet." John wasn't sure exactly how he felt about the younger Spartans. He'd been told about the inferior armor they used and the shorter training they'd had. Something about all of it bugged him. There was also the question of why there were so few of them. Only two remaining Beta Company Spartans. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the rest of them.

"Hey, Petty Officer. The pelicans are being packed up. You two might want to grab your gear and get ready to get onto good old solid dirt." An ODST grinned at them as he spoke.

"Thanks, Randal. We'll be sure not to miss our ride." Kelly waved to him.

"Better not. Soldiers eager for R and R wait for no one, not even Spartans." Randal turned and ran out of the mess hall toward the trooper barracks.

Kelly stood up. "Come on, let's grab our gear and get moving. We don't want to get left behind. And they _will _leave us behind." John stood and followed Kelly out of the room. They went back to their private barracks and gathered their gear before making their way to the hanger.

Eager soldiers milled around the area, trying to stay out of the way. Some seemed impatient to get to the planet. John wondered how many of them had family on the planet that they would go see. In a way, he was one of them. The Spartans were his family and he was going to be reunited with them. Kelly had told him about Fred's promotion, and oddly John was glad to not be the one in charge. He liked for once being able to relax a bit.

John stuck close behind Kelly, as he had for the past few weeks. The soldiers had even started to make jokes about him being her faithful dog or shadow. He felt odd in the now more peaceful UNSC. He'd only ever known war and fighting so he stuck with the one thing that was familiar. Kelly. She didn't seem to mind that he followed her like a well-trained German Shepherd. She'd even been fine with answering all of his questions even when he asked the same question more than once.

Kelly led them to a pelican where an ODST was leaning out of the back and grinning at them. "So you both made it. At least now we don't have to leave you behind." The solider moved back so that the two Spartans could board. Once they had moved in and sat down, the solider hit the controls on the rear and the hatch closed.

John stared at Kelly seated across from him. She was leaning back, relaxed and listening to several of the troopers that were talking about what they were going to do when they got to the planet. It didn't hold much interest for John. His mind once more wandered to the question of what he was going to do. He fought with himself in his head the entire trip down to the planet. It was odd to be in a pelican without his armor, without a gun in his hand, racing toward a fight.

Kelly shook John out of his thoughts. He looked up at her and her brows were furrowed in worry. "Are you all right, John?" He nodded but she didn't look convinced. "Come on, the Admiral is waiting for us." John nodded again and stood up.

Kelly led him out of the pelican and to a building that was only a few meters away from the landing field. They walked in and both snapped to attention and saluted the Admiral, who was talking to an MP. The officer turned as the Spartans neared him. "Ah, you made it back. I suppose this is the big discovery that was made." The Admiral turned and smiled at John. "Welcome back, Master Chief."

"It's good to be back, sir." John felt a bit uncomfortable. The aura in the air was relaxed and the Admiral didn't seem to be anything like the serious and skilled leaders that John had dealt with in the past. It was all so foreign to him.

"Well, things have changed around here, Chief. I'm sure, though, that the Petty Officer can show you how things are done around here. Just stick close to her and I'm sure that you'll be fine. Do take good care of him, Petty Officer."

"Yes, sir." Kelly nodded and motioned to John to follow her. They hadn't been dismissed, so John hesitated for a moment before he followed her. Things were very different.

Kelly led him out to a waiting warthog. She climbed into the driver's seat and John moved to sit in the passenger's seat. John stared out the side of the jeep, looking around. There were soldiers playing a game of soccer and another group just lounging about. John couldn't believe that they had nothing to do. Kelly was talking, but he was only partially listening. He was trying to take in all the changes that were around him. Everything was so relaxed and none of them seemed at all like the soldiers he had grown up with.

John was slightly aware of what Kelly was telling him. He got the basic idea at least. The Spartans had been given their own building on the planet including a gym, showers, and sleeping quarters for each Spartan. John wasn't sure how he felt about being separated from his fellow Spartans. They were always in the same quarters.

The warthog stopped and John was forced to focus on the now. Kelly got out and he followed suit. She led him into the building and he noted the large Spartan eagle that was painted onto the side of the building. John moved into the structure and looked around. The cement walls were familiar and somehow comforting. Kelly started by showing him the gym and locker room. The gym was well-stocked and the locker room had plenty of room for even all of the Spartans to use it at once if they had to.

Kelly led him down the hallway. "These first four rooms are the Spartan IIIs. Ash, Olivia, Mark, Tom and Lucy share a room." John nodded, making note of who was in what room. He wanted to ask about why two of them shared the same room but he remained quiet as Kelly continued. "Linda is this one, and this one will be you."

Kelly opened a door and John moved in. He looked around the room. It had only a footlocker for his belongings, a desk, chair, and bed. John liked it. He didn't want too much, and these modest necessities made him feel comfortable.

"If you need anything, or any help, don't hesitate to ask." Kelly smiled and John turned to thank her. As he did she was suddenly pulled back and out of view. John's heartbeat quickened and he felt a sudden rush of adrenaline. He moved out of the doorway ready for any intruder or attacker, but what he saw was more shocking. John stood in the hallways stunned as he took in the sight before him.

Fred had Kelly pulled tight against him, their lips firmly connected. The two seemed completely unaware that he was even there. Finally the two pulled apart and after another few seconds Fred seemed to realize that the other male Spartan was there. "John, where have you been?"

For a moment John wasn't sure how to reply. He hadn't seen the other man in years and he wasn't particularly sure how to explain where he had been. "I've been sitting in a pod in the back end of a ship waiting on someone to come pick me up." He felt a bit of unease, oddly hurt by the sight of Fred and Kelly, but he pushed it aside.

"Well, you know how those pilots are. They are always late for evac." Fred grinned and finally released Kelly. For the first time John noticed the wide grin on the female Spartan's face. "It's good to have you back, John. Hasn't felt right without you around."

John noted the new scars on Fred's face and he felt suddenly guilty. There had been more fighting going on when he'd been in cryo and he realized that he hadn't been there for his fellow Spartans. "I'm sorry I was gone so long, _sir._" He was sure to emphasis the 'sir'.

Fred shook his head. "First, don't call me sir. It really feels odd coming from you. Second, there's nothing to apologize about. You did enough while we were lounging about on Onyx."

"Well, from what Kelly told me you didn't do a lot of actual lounging around." John glanced over at Kelly then looked back at Fred.

Fred set a hand on John's shoulder. "You did more than we could have asked of you. You deserved a nice sleep while we took care of the rest." He smiled and removed his hand. "Get yourself acquainted with your surroundings. Kelly and I are going to enjoy some quality time." The smile turned into a grin.

John nodded and watched as Fred led Kelly to a room across from his. He paused for a moment. He felt suddenly alone. He wondered at what point he'd lost Kelly to Fred. He hadn't even known that Fred had liked Kelly, or that she'd had any emotion for Fred. John stood in the hallway for a moment before he turned and walked back into his room. He sat down on the cot and looked around at the room. He sighed. He'd have to get used to this new situation. At least he no longer had to worry about telling her.


	25. Valentine's Day

**Pair: Kelly/Fred**

**Title: Valentine's Day  
**

* * *

Kelly lay on her cot, staring up at the ceiling. She was a bit annoyed that the soldiers had taken the liberty of decorating their building. There were pink, red, and white hearts all over the walls in all of the rooms, even some in the showers, which was a bit odd.

She turned and looked over to one side of their room. He sat at the desk there, looking over the reports from the last mission. They'd actually met some rebels this time and he was making sure that all their reports matched up. An ODST had messed up. Olivia had ended up caught in a group of rebels and with a bullet grazing her leg. It hadn't been a big deal and Olivia was fine. They'd altered their stories to hide that it had been the trooper's fault. It had been his first mission out and he'd decided to be lenient on the young man.

Kelly frowned to herself. John wouldn't have let the soldier off. He would have reported it exactly as it had happened. He'd never been one to lie in a report. Kelly banished those thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about John, only Fred.

Kelly stood up and moved up behind him. "Are you almost done?" She leaned forward, resting her hands on Fred's shoulders. She let them travel down his chest as she draped herself over him.

Fred stiffened a bit as her hands moved down him. She giggled. He was sometimes still so awkward when it came to anything intimate. "I'll be finished in a moment, Kelly. I just have to finish reading Linda's report to be sure it is correct before I can send them all in."

"Do you really have to do work today? Is it so much to ask to have you all to myself on Valentine's Day?" Kelly pouted.

"Is it already the fourteenth?" Fred froze, realizing he'd lost track of the date.

Kelly frowned. "You forgot Valentine's Day, didn't you?" Kelly stood up and Fred looked back at her. She sighed and looked down at the floor, heartbroken. She'd been hoping that he'd remember. After all, the entire building was covered in decorations.

"I didn't forget." Fred stood up and moved his chair aside. "I swear I didn't. I just didn't realize that it was today."

Kelly crossed her arms. "Yeah, sure you did."

"You know me better than that, Kelly. I set up some plans months in advance. I just didn't realize that today was the day. I promise you, you'll love it…at least I hope you will. I'm still sort of new at this." Fred reached out, hand resting lightly on her waist.

Kelly uncrossed her arms and moved forward, wrapping them around his neck. "All right, I believe you. Just finish your report and I'm going to change into something more comfortable." Kelly gave him a quick kiss before she released him.

Kelly moved off to their footlocker and fetched out some nicer clothing. She chose a pair of black slimming pants, and a slim red shirt that she knew Fred liked. She could feel Fred's eyes on her a few times as she changed. It surprised her how daring he was when he thought she wasn't aware. When she was partially finished Fred joined her. He changed into a pair of black dress pants and clean white shirt. Contrary to his tactics, Kelly didn't try to hide her glances at him. When he'd finished, Kelly stood from the bed where she had been waiting for him. She moved before him and straightened his collar. "Don't you look fancy?"

"It is a very special occasion, though I don't think a uniform is proper for this situation." Fred smiled at her. "Come on, our dinner should be set up already for us." Fred took her hand and led her out of the room. He took her to the garage and they climbed into a warthog.

"So where are we going?" Kelly settled into her seat as Fred sped off.

"You'll see. I know it won't seem like a very nice place on the outside, but I promise that I've chosen the perfect spot." Fred brought the jeep to a stop outside of the laboratories. Fred got out and moved around the car before Kelly could get out. He held his hand out for her.

Kelly looked at his hand. "You do realize I don't need help, right?"

Fred frowned at her. "Just play along. I'm trying to be a gentleman." Kelly reluctantly took his hand and climbed out of the car. He brought her into the laboratory and led her back to a corner where he had a table set up. Kelly noted that there were already plates of food set out for them.

Fred pulled out her chair and she let the matter drop. She wasn't going to argue with him if he wanted to be a gentleman. She felt it was a bit sweet. She sat down and Fred pushed in the chair before he sat down across from her.

The dinner was normal. Kelly had to admit with only the blue lights of the equipment and pipes that ran along the walls to light the area Kelly did think it was a bit romantic. They talked through dinner about a multitude of subjects. The new uniform ideas that had been pitched, the newest batch of recruits, what they thought was going to happen next in the recovery efforts on the glassed planets.

When they finished, Fred took her back out to the jeep. He refused to tell her where they were going. He finally brought them to a stop on a cliff that overlooked the forest that surrounded the base. He backed up and they moved into the rear of the troop transport to sit beside each other. Kelly leaned against Fred, who draped his arm over her shoulder. They sat, staring up at the night sky.

"I have to admit, this has been very nice, Fred. You aren't half bad at this relationship stuff." Kelly cuddled a bit closer to him.

"Well, I asked a few people for help. They gave me some tips and I think they worked out." Fred shifted slightly. "That wasn't all that was suggested to me." He pulled out a small box. "Someone also suggested that this was a good idea. I was going to go with flowers, but I thought this would last longer."

Kelly took the box from him and he urged her to open it. She removed the ribbon that was wrapped around it and opened the box. She gasped as she caught sight of the gold inside. "Fred, how did you get this?"

"I had another soldier go off base to get it. Remember they are actually giving us spending funds. I set some aside for a while to get it." Fred reached into the box and grabbed the gold chain. He unlatched the clasp and put the necklace on her.

Kelly looked down at the golden eagle and smiled. "It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it."

"Well, I went with something that wasn't to feminine, because I didn't think you'd like that, but the eagle has always been a Spartan symbol, so I thought you'd enjoy it." Fred looked up from the necklace into Kelly's eyes. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kelly."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Fred." Kelly leaned forward and brought their lips together. When she pulled back she was grinning. "So then, shall we go home and celebrate properly?"

Fred swallowed hard and nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Though if you want privacy, this is the most private place that we can get." Fred grinned and Kelly scowled at him. "I'm just joking." He gave her a quick kiss before he moved out of the back and slipped into the driver's seat. He stared the warthog and Kelly grabbed onto the bar above her to steady herself as they bounced off toward the base.


	26. Problems

**Pairings: Kelly/Fred, John/Kelly**

**Title: Problems  
**

* * *

Kelly crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She frowned at Fred. "What are we going to do?" She shook her head. "We can't keep being like this."

Fred sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what we are going to do. I agree though." He looked at his desk. "This is my fault, isn't it? I've been so out of it and now…now you're unhappy."

"No, Fred, it's not. I mean, you are under a lot of stress. I know that things are hard for you, but it just hasn't been easy. You make me happy, Fred, but recently you just haven't been yourself, and I've been thinking." Kelly uncrossed her arms.

"It's John." Fred scowled and moved so he was leaning over the desk. "I love the guy like a brother, but I'm tired of competing with him. Since he came back things haven't been the same."

"The only thing that's changed is that when you get really stressed I have someone to go and talk to while you aren't being you." Kelly moved across the room and stood before him.

Fred didn't look up. "Kelly, are you happy anymore?" His hand reached out and rested on her side, guiding her closer. He brought her close enough and then leaned forward, resting his head against her stomach.

Kelly contemplated the question. "Recently, not so much. With all the stress you just haven't been the same as you used to be. Maybe…maybe we should take a break, until this investigation thing is over."

"Why? So that you can be open and John can swoop in and steal you away." Fred's words came out in a low aggressive growl.

Kelly pushed him away from her and he looked up at her, confused. "That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. The Fred I love wouldn't say something like that. He also wouldn't basically accuse me of doing this so I could be with John.

Kelly tried to leave, but Fred grabbed her wrist. He stood up and pulled her a bit closer. He looked very reluctant but like he had no other choice. "If you really aren't happy then we can try this. We can break up until this is over. Until everything has settled."

Kelly smiled and kissed his cheek. "There's a little peek at the man I love." Fred tried to smile, but she could see the hurt in his eyes. "Fred, I'll always be there to back you up. I am Blue Two after all. I'm…just not going to be sharing your bed for a while."

"Just tell me one thing." Fred took a deep breath before he continued. "Are you going to go to John?"

Kelly frowned at him. "For the last time, John doesn't love me. I'm not going to be with a man that doesn't love me." Kelly shook her head. "I might tell him how I feel, just to get it out of my system."

Fred shifted slightly, finding the right approach. "But what if he did like you? What if he loved you back? Would you go to him?"

Kelly shrugged. "I don't know. He hurt me in the past and I'm not sure if he wouldn't hurt me again." She turned her gaze to the floor. "What if I did go with him?"

Fred raised her face so she was looking at him. She could see the kind but deep down strong man that she'd been sharing her life with. "If you do, then I'll win you back from him." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. When the kiss broke he remained close to her. "I'll move my stuff out for now. Shouldn't take them too long to get a room ready."

Kelly shook her head. "No, I'll move out. You stay focused on your work. If there's one thing John owes me it's a bed for a night, even if that means he has to sleep on the ground." Kelly smirked a bit. "I'll see you later, Fred." She turned and walked out of the room.

Kelly sat in the locker room, staring at her open locker. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't believe that she'd just broken up with Fred. Well, broken up sounded wrong. They were really just on a break until Fred was less stressed.

She was so lost in thought she didn't hear John come out of the showers. He moved to his locker behind her, dried up, and put on a pair of pants. "You don't look like you're having a good day."

Kelly jumped a bit at the voice. She looked over her shoulder, then turned back to her locker when she spotted his bare chest. The last thing she needed was to feel guilty about eyeing John right after breaking up with Fred. "It hasn't been a good day."

John moved around the bench and sat down beside her. "Want to tell me about it?"

"You were never one for listening to other's problems."

"Well, I'm trying new things. Expanding my horizon." John bumped his shoulder against hers. "Come on, tell me about it."

Kelly sighed and gave in. "I broke up with Fred."

John scowled. "What did he do?"

Kelly let out an annoyed groan. "Why do people always seem to think that it's because someone has done something wrong to me. Fred would never hurt me. It's just…with all the stress…he hasn't been himself lately." She shook her head. "By the way, I'm stealing your bed tonight."

John shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind a bedmate." Kelly frowned at him. "Well, if not, then where do I sleep?"

"I'm thinking the floor." Kelly smirked. "Unless you'd rather sleep outside like my dog."

"You know that if you had a dog you'd let it sleep on your bed at night." John leaned a bit against her. He bit his lower lip and asked the question that was persisting in his mind. "So what's going to happen with you and Fred?"

Kelly shrugged. "If he ever goes back to being himself, we'll get back together. But unless the stress goes away, I don't see that happening any time soon." Kelly's smile fell. "If he never goes back to being himself…then I don't know. I can't be with him if he's not the man I love."

"And how long before you think Ash will start hitting on you after he finds out?" Kelly frowned at him and John smiled. "Oh, even I'm not blind to it. He likes you, though he doesn't stand a chance against Fred. Without Fred in the picture he'll think he has a chance."

Kelly shook her head. "I don't know him well enough; I definitely am not close enough to him to want to be anything more than a friend."

"So basically all Spartan IIIs don't have a chance." John grinned slightly. "Then only Fred and I actually have a chance." Kelly shrugged and nodded. John sighed. "This is supposed to be the part where you tell me that I don't have a chance because I'm a jerk. You know, remind you how nice Fred is to you, how he hasn't lied to you, or hasn't hidden things from you."

Kelly shook her head. "I never lied to you, John. When I said it, I said it because I meant it." She shook her head. "But you were the only guy that didn't feel that way."

It took John a moment to realize what she was talking about. "Wait, what do you mean the only guy? What other guys then Fred told you they loved you?"

Kelly shrugged and tried to brush the question off. "Well, Fred was the only one that said it that I returned the feelings. Ash did say it to me, and…Sam." John was shocked at the news. It was obvious he'd never even suspected that Sam liked Kelly. "But I didn't like either of them that way."

"But you meant it when you said it to me?" John tried to hide the hope from his voice, but he knew she'd be able to catch a hint of it.

"I don't say it unless I mean it." Kelly turned her gaze back to the floor. "Only you and Fred."

John scratched the back of his neck. "I haven't been fully truthful with you."

"No, you haven't. You haven't even admitted things you know I know." Kelly crossed her arms.

"I didn't think they needed to be admitted. You know about them." John sighed. "I'm not very good at the social thing. Fred was always much better at it. Suppose it's why he's better for you than me." Kelly seemed to be paying attention but didn't reply. "The thing with Linda isn't what I was talking about."

"There have been other women?" Kelly raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Or have there been men."

"I assure you there have been no men. And there's only been one woman I've actually loved." John was obviously trying to relax but failing. Kelly had never seen him be nervous like this before.

"Well, then you should really tell Linda. It's not nice to keep things from a woman." Kelly paused for a moment. "Especially when she can probably kill you before you saw it coming."

"Not exactly sure why I would tell Linda. Though the woman I love can kill me without me knowing it." He shrugged slightly. "Though she's always had that sort of power over me." He looked down toward the floor. "Though, I can't tell her how I feel about her. I have to wait. Right now isn't a good time."

Kelly's fist struck John's shoulder. "You do realize I'm not an idiot. You aren't very subtle."

"I was really just trying not to be too blunt." John shrugged slightly, rubbing at his shoulder. "I'm not very good at telling what is too subtle."

"Well, I got your point. What makes you think that she'll even want to return those feelings? I mean, you hurt her in the past. What would stop you from hurting her again? Why are you waiting to tell her anyway?"

John let out a long breath. "That's the hard part of it. See, if I tell her now, she'll think I'm trying to take advantage of her. She is going through a bad time right now and I'd rather be there for her as a friend then alienate her because she still thinks I'm in it to use her. I'll have to find a way to prove to her that I really mean it. That she's the only woman for me. Though that might take a while, I'm willing to work for it."

Kelly smiled slightly. "Well, maybe you can redeem yourself. Though it does sound like right now, she could use you as a friend." Kelly leaned against John's shoulder and he put his arm around her, pulling her closer.

"I am first and foremost, her friend." Kelly buried her face into John's neck and he wrapped his other arm around her, hugging her against him. "Everything's going to be all right."


	27. Rose

**Pairs: Carter/Kat, hints of Emile/Jorge**

**Title: Rose  
**

* * *

Kat stared at the candy heart in her hand. "Why do people still give these? They taste like chalk." She scowled. "Seems more like what you would give an enemy than a friend or loved one."

"It's tradition." Jorge reached over and picked a heart out of the bowl on the table. "It's more about the messages on them." He tossed the candy to the Spartan beside him.

Emile caught the candy and read it. "Hug me? In your dreams, big man." He tossed the heart aside.

"Get in the spirit." Jorge moved and before Emile could stop him he'd enveloped the assault specialist in a bear hug.

Kat smiled as she watched Emile fight to escape Jorge's grasp. For all their arguing they were very close with each other.

"If not these, then what would you want someone to give you?" Richard leaned a bit toward her. "You don't seem like the kind of woman that would like flowers or candies."

"Yeah, what did the Commander get you?" Emile grunted as he tried to push Jorge away, though he was failing miserably.

Kat ignored Emile. "Exactly what you mean by I don't seem like that kind of woman?"

Richard shut his mouth and shrank back. Jorge laughed and sat back down in his chair. He hadn't released Emile but his captive had given up fighting. Jorge settled in with Emile held in his arms like a stuffed animal. Even without armor Jorge seemed to be so much bigger than the Spartan III.

"Don't mind her. She's just cranky because Carter's been off base all day and they haven't gotten to make V'day hanky-panky." Emile tried to withdraw back into Jorge's grasp as Kat's glare turned to him. He suddenly regretted bringing the focus back to him.

"Careful or she'll break that lovely face of yours." Jorge tapped Emile's helmet indicating the carved skull.

"I'd like to see her try." Emile crossed his arms over his chest and huffed loudly.

Kat stood up and moved around the table. Emile watched her carefully as she approached him. She stood a foot away and Emile braced for retribution. She simply smiled. "You look so adorable. Like Jorge is carrying around a cute bunny. I think you should carry him around like that all day."

Jorge chuckled and shifted Emile slightly. "I like that idea. I think I will."

"Wait, what?" Emile started his struggling once more.

Kat turned and moved out of the room, leaving Emile to try to make an escape. She only wished she'd had one of those headbands with bunny ears. She'd seen a soldier wearing a pair earlier and they would have solidified her wrath.

Kat felt the heavy weight of the medallion around her neck as she walked through the hallways. It had been the first Valentine's Day gift he'd given her. Even if he hadn't known what day it was.

Kat walked into the barracks, there was no one there. She moved to her cot but stopped as she stared down at her pillow. On the feather-filled cloth rested a single red rose. She approached it hesitantly.

"It's a rose, Kat, not a snake. As long as you're careful about where you put your fingers it won't bite." Carter walked into the room from the showers. Only a towel around his waist.

Kat looked to him and let her eyes study him as Carter moved across the room to his locker. "So it's just like a man? Wait, men are the other way around. If you're careful of where you place your fingers, he will bite." Carter didn't respond as he got dressed. Kat wasn't sure if it was because he wasn't in the mood for teasing or if it was because he could feel her eyes on him and it made him nervous.

Once he'd put on pants Kat moved to sit on her cot, though as soon as she sat down her gaze returned to his back. When Carter finished he moved over to his cot, beside hers.

Kat reached over and picked up the rose, being careful of the thorns. She raised it to her face and sniffed it. She couldn't remember ever having smelled a rose before. "It's beautiful, Carter. I love it." She bit back the next words she wanted to say. She lowered the flower and frowned.

"Don't frown." Carter sounded a bit panicked, like his plan was falling apart. He learned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Please, don't frown. Be happy." He pulled back a bit but still remained close. He hesitated for only a moment before he moved closer and brought their lips together. Kat returned the kiss. It was needy and Carter was the first to pull away.

Kat looked away from Carter. "What are we doing?" She shook her head slightly. "We're just torturing each other with this. We can't….you can't…we have to…" She shook her head and Carter looked down at the floor. Kat passed the rose back to him. "I can't accept this."

Carter looked down at the rose. "I'm sorry, Kat. You're right. There are rules and we can't break those rules." He put the rose back in her hand and she frowned at him. "Please, accept this as a token of my friendship. That I love you as a teammate, and as a thank you for always having my back."

Kat finally accepted the rose and twirled it a bit in her hand. "Fine, I'll accept it if it meant that." She winced and dropped the rose. "Damn thorns."

Carter laughed and picked the flower up. "I told you to watch your fingers." He smirked slightly. "I wonder if you are careful with your fingers if a woman will bite."

Kat returned the smirk. "Might want to be careful under what conditions you test that theory." Carter looked at her confused for a few seconds before he finally made the connection. He blushed deeply. "What? Don't like the picture I just gave you? Take out the biting and I'm sure you'd enjoy it." Carter blushed a bit more as the thoughts started to run wild in his head.

Kat lay awake that night, still plagued by the day's events. She sat up a bit and looked across the room. Jorge had done as she had suggested and carried Emile around all day. Just too really annoy him he hadn't let go of him when he went to sleep. The larger Spartan lay on his cot still clutching Emile against him like a teddy bear.

Kat turned over to face Carter. She was surprised to find him facing her, eyes open. Kat stared back at him in silence. They couldn't say anything or they might wake the other team members. She wasn't even sure what she would say. His eyes seemed to bore into her, like he was trying to tell her something through mental communications. Maybe it was just him thinking really hard. No, she knew that face well, though it was different from his planning face. She couldn't take it any longer. She rolled over so that her back was to him.

Something soft brushed over her shoulder and Kat glanced back to see the red petals of a rose peeking up over her skin. She turned over a bit and looked back at Carter. His eyes were hopeful and slightly pleading. Kat took pity on him and reached over, taking the flower. Carter smiled slightly and she rolled back over. She laid the flower on the bed. She smiled down at it and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.


	28. Opening Up

**Pair: Emile/Jorge**

**Title: Opening up**

* * *

Emile grabbed Jorge's arm and pulled him back behind a rock. "Damn, why do you have to weigh so much?" He strained a bit to finally pull the bulky, armored soldier behind cover. Emile moved to his side and knelt down. He checked his friend's pulse and cursed. It was a bit unsteady. "Come on, we can't stay here." Emile did the only thing that he could think of. He lifted up Jorge and carried the larger man on his back.

"Dumbest idea I've ever had. Commander's going to skin our asses when we get back to base." Emile chuckled a bit but stopped when he found it was too hard to laugh and breathe at the same time. He found the going slow and could hear the barks of grunts coming closer. He'd have to change his plans again.

Emile searched around until he found what he was looking for. "Hope you'll fit, big man." Emile moved toward a small opening in the rock wall. It opened up into a small cave. It would be a tight squeeze, but they would both fit. Emile struggled a bit to maneuver Jorge into the hole, as he was as large as the opening. He managed it and crammed himself into the small space with the Spartan II.

Emile wasn't one for feeling claustrophobic. He spent all this time inside of his armor. He felt odd though, tightly packed into the cave with Jorge. "Damn, how do I get into these situations?" Emile sat and let himself simmer a bit in his annoyance.

He didn't want to be here, didn't want to be dealing with this. They'd been ambushed by a Covenant patrol and a trio of plasma grenades had gone off right beside him. Luckily, Jorge had put himself between Emile and the explosion. Or maybe it wasn't luck. Now Emile was stuck trying to keep Jorge alive. He wasn't a medic, didn't even have any supplies to do anything to help.

"You seem to have forgotten how things are supposed to work, walking tank. I kick the crap out of everything we see and you are supposed to carry me back after I've been blown to hell. Not the other way around." He knew Jorge couldn't hear him but for some reason he felt like talking. "Wish I could have grabbed a few of those plasma grenades. Don't usually find ones that are left. Little bastards use them all up hurling them at walls of missing targets."

Emile felt it was a bit odd. He usually didn't talk this much when Jorge was awake. Maybe the idea that he could be open with the other man but not have to deal with Jorge knowing he'd been open, human, was what appealed to him. "You know this isn't the first time I've been in a position like this. Never really told you about what I did before Noble." Emile paused for a moment. "Come to think of it you never told me what you did before Noble either." The violent Spartan chuckled. "Guess we all have our secrets."

Emile shifted a bit to get a bit more comfortable. "Well, since you can't really hear me, guess I don't have to worry about it. See, I used to be a part of this program before Noble. We'd go out in pairs and we'd take down high-profile Covenant targets behind enemy lines." Emile grinned behind his visor. "I had the best partner. She could kick more ass than even me, and that's saying a lot. She was a firecracker. Even was the original one to carve a face on her visor. Though back then we wore SPI, not EVA." Emile reached up, running a hand over the carved faceplate of his helmet. "Guess I did it to remember her. Like if I didn't, the world would forget her."

The Spartan was silent for a moment. "Anyway, one time we almost get caught by this patrol, but she drags me into this little crevice and we huddled in there and waited for them to pass. It was even more cramped than in here." Emile let himself lean back fully against the unconscious Spartan II.

"She and I were really close. We had to be. They taught us to trust each other with our lives, to give it our all. I gave her everything I had. My trust, my strength, my humanity, and more." Emile's helmed turned to the ground. "Guess I got a bit too close to her. She died on a mission. Held them off while I got away. I should have stayed, should have saved her." His head shook. "She'd kick me if she heard me talking like that."

Emile shifted his shotgun to lean against his shoulder. "Guess it's why I've gotten so close to you, man. We were taught to have a teammate that we could trust no matter what. Hope you don't mind you've been recruited for that duty."

Emile bit his lip and let out a long breath through his nose. "I got too close to my old partner, and here I'm doing the exactly same thing again with you. I thought we were supposed to learn from the past, not repeat the same mistakes over again. You just better not die on me, Jorge. I don't think I'd be able to take it. I'd probably find the next group of Covies I could find and jump in the center of them. Take out as many as I could before they got me and I joined you."

Emile's head hung a bit. "Damn, being human makes you weak." There was a startled bark of a grunt and Emile looked up. The grunt minor fumbled for its plasma pistol. Emile shifted his shotgun to shoot it but a force pressed against Emile's back. In a flurry of motion an arm shoot out and a large hand crushed the grunt's skull. Jorge's other arm was wrapped around Emile's chest to hold him back and to keep him from being thrown forward by the sudden movement.

Jorge released the dead grunt and shook his hand. "Annoying little things." The Spartan II looked down at Emile.

The EVA helmet stared back at him as Emile placed the wall up around him, hiding away the human inside of him. "I had that one." The words were cold and bitter. "How long have you been awake? We've been wasting damn time and you were awake?"

Jorge didn't answer right off. He looked down at the Spartan III as if trying to decide if he should tell the truth. He finally made a choice. "I woke up when I heard the grunt. Instincts I guess." He finally released Emile and the assault specialist crawled out of the shelter.

Jorge had a bit of extra trouble getting out of the hole and Emile had to help pull him out. "Come on, we've wasted enough time. Boss is going to kill us."

Jorge nodded. "Let's get moving, partner." Emile scowled behind his visor, embarrassed. Jorge must have lied to him. He'd have to get him back for having heard anything of what Emile had said.


	29. Nightmare

**Pair: Kelly/John, Kelly Fred**

**Prompt suggestion by DoubleDidigit42**

**Title: Nightmare  
**

* * *

Kelly crouched behind a broken wall. There was a shudder as the shot of a wraith tank hit the ground. She cursed as she checked her rifle. It was partially melted from a plasma bolt, which left it unable to fire. She dropped it to the ground and peeked out from her cover. She spotted several Spartans taking cover in the surrounding area. They were all pinned down by the wraith.

"_We've got to get rid of that thing. We can't get past it_." Kelly recognized the voice as Fred's.

"I'll take care of it." Kelly moved from her cover and took off across the open space. She heard the shouts of her teammates over the radio telling her to stop. She ignored them, running across the burnt road until she neared the wraith. Kelly darted as the turret gunner tried to hit her. She ran around the rear and climbed onto the back of the tank. The vehicle turned as it tried hopelessly to shake her off. Kelly's fist slammed into the back of the wraith, bending metal and sending neon blue sparks flying from the back ports. When she felt the wraith drop to the ground, she dropped off of the tank and took off at a full run.

The wraith blew up. Fire and shrapnel shot through the air. Kelly wasn't far enough away, and she knew it. Something hit Kelly and knocked her to the ground. It took her a second to realize that she wasn't injured. There was a heavy force on her back. She looked over her shoulder and saw the Spartan laying across her. He wasn't moving.

Kelly shot into action. She grabbed the other Spartan's arms and moved him up onto her back. She struggled to her feet and carried him away into a building to the side that was clear of enemies. Kelly heard the other Spartans call something about jackals through her radio, but she ignored it. She lifted the Spartan on her back and set him down so he was leaning against a wall.

Kelly connected to the other soldier's armor and got a damaged report. Her blood ran cold as she spotted the name attached. It was John. The report wasn't good at all. He had a lot of internal bleeding and his pulse was weak and erratic. Kelly reached up and removed her helmet. The lines of his heartbeat and pulse seemed to only make her more scared, which would only distract her.

John's head moved and he looked over at Kelly. His hands shook slightly as he reached up and removed his helmet. The Mark V helmet hit the ground and rolled slightly away. Kelly tried to keep her worry from her face as she noticed the blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

"Kelly." Kelly looked up at John. She knew that he could see the worry she was trying to hide. "Kelly, I'm not going to make it."

Kelly shook her head. "No, you're wrong. You'll be fine." She wasn't going to give up on him easily. She grabbed the med kit and pulled out a biofoam canister.

John stopped her before she could insert the nozzle into his armor. "Don't bother with that. Save it for in case you need it later." Kelly wanted to argue, but the look on John's face said he didn't have the time. "Kelly, I have to tell you something. I've known you for so long, and you've always been there for me." He struggled to take a breath. "Kelly, I have to tell you. I love you." The words sounded off, like it was someone else's voice coming from his mouth.

Kelly didn't know what to say. John's hand moved to her neck and pulled her to him. Their lips met and Kelly was surprised to find that she didn't taste any blood on his lips. The kiss broke and John slumped back against the wall. Kelly stared at him as she felt tears streaming down her face. She reached up, searching for a pulse, but found nothing. She leaned toward him and buried her face in his neck, letting herself weep openly.

Kelly shot up from where she was lying. She looked around and realized that she wasn't on a battlefield. She remembered being trapped in Onyx. They had taken refuge in a cave for the night, or what was considered night as the sun didn't set here. The person beside Kelly shifted and sat up with her.

"Kelly, is something wrong?" Fred's brows furrowed in worry. His hand reached over to run over Kelly's side.

Kelly didn't answer right way. She wasn't sure what to tell him. "Nothing, it was just a bad dream." She lay back down and Fred did the same. She felt his arm wrap around her waist and pull her close. She let him, taking some comfort in his proximity and his touch.

Kelly found it hard to fall back to sleep. The dream was still vivid in her mind. She stared at the pair of helmets that sat side by side a bit away from them. Her mark V helmet stared directly back at her while Fred's Mark VI helmet was slightly angled toward Kelly's. She was confused at the moment. She loved Fred. He treated her well, he loved her back, and he was a sweet guy. But here she was having dreams about John. She couldn't deny it; there were still emotions in her for her first love. She'd thought that all of those had gone away when she'd chosen to be with Fred.

Fred had given her everything, and here she was unable to let go of a man that might be dead. "I love you, Fred." She scooted a bit closer to him, wishing that she could get closer, but their armor prevented it.

Fred placed a light kiss on her neck. "I love you too, Kelly." The words were so sincere and it made Kelly feel guilty. She did love Fred, but she was second guessing exactly how much. She tried to push all those thoughts aside and closed her eyes, attempting to get back to sleep.


	30. Recovery

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title: Recovery**

* * *

John sat on his cot, shining his boots. He was finally getting the hang of his changed body. Everything had been more difficult, even walking, after the augmentations. He'd had to relearn everything. They'd been put on a strict diet and got injections regularly. John didn't exactly understand it, it hadn't really been explained, but he trusted the UNSC.

John looked up as the door opened and two people walked in. Fred still walked a bit oddly, and while his hair was growing back it had silver streaks in it, which hadn't been there before. Will was right behind him, lumbering a bit. They moved to their cots across the room from John.

Will pulled out a fresh shirt and shut his locker. "Any report on the rest of our squad mates that haven't been released?"

Fred shook his head. He stood up and moved over to John. "Any word on how Kelly is doing?" John looked up at him and he frowned. He wasn't sure exactly why it was that Fred was asking. He'd been a bit close to Kelly, but not as close as John or Sam.

John shook his head. "None yet. The last thing I was informed she was still in recovery."

Fred shifted and John would have guessed he looked nervous. "Do you think she's going to make it?" John could hear the fear in Fred's voice.

John didn't want to answer right away. He didn't want to admit it but he was starting to wonder the same thing. He didn't like to think about how he might lose her. He didn't like the thought of her not being there to back him up. John stood up and turned to Fred. They stood at almost the exactly same height. "Kelly is strong." It was the only answer that he could really give him. Fred didn't look at all satisfied with the answer but let it go. John watched him return to his cot.

He still had free time, but he wasn't in the mood for going back to the gym to train more. He moved out of the barracks and made his way to the medical wing of the ship. Most of the staff ignored him, believing that he was there for treatment. He slipped into the room that was his destination when no one was looking.

John moved to the side of the bed and looked down at the young woman lying on it. She was built like an athlete and he had to admit that she had become a beautiful woman. Her head was still shaven and her skin was a bit pale. Her face was peaceful and it didn't show the life-or-death struggle that she was currently fighting. His hand moved over and his fingers trailed along the skin of her arm. It was cold, and that worried him.

John looked over his shoulder and then back to the woman. "You have to pull through, Kelly." His hand moved to hers and gripped it lightly. He couldn't say it aloud but he needed her to stay alive. He felt his heart hurt as he looked down at her, so close to death and him unable to do anything about it. He glanced over his shoulder one last time to be sure that there was no one nearby. He really shouldn't be doing this. He didn't even think that she would want him to do this, but he needed to. John took a step closer and leaned over, bringing his lips to hers. Her lips were cold against his and he squeezed her hand a bit tighter.

John pulled away and he felt his heart fall. He didn't know what he was expecting, but whatever it was, he didn't get it. He stared down at her and cursed himself. Even though she couldn't hear him and it was becoming a more imminent threat that she wouldn't survive. Even with all of that, he couldn't tell her that he loved her.

John placed one last kiss on her cheek and stood up. "You can't die, Kelly. I need you." He hung his head, helpless. He released her hand and silently left the room, knowing that standing around would do no good. If any of his squad members saw him, they'd know of his worry and it might cause word of it to spread.

It would be another week before Kelly would wake and get out of the infirmary. John was actually jealous of Fred as he watched the other man squeeze Kelly in a bear hug. Instead he could only return her salute when she informed him she was reporting for duty. Deep down, he was relieved she was all right. There was still a long road for all of them until they fully recovered from the augmentations, but he was confident he could get through it as long as she was at his side.


	31. The monster and the demon

**Pairings: Jorge/Emile, Carter/Kat**

**Title: The monster and the demon**

* * *

Emile sat to the side of the makeshift camp. They were preparing for the full assault on Sword base to complete their torch and burn operation. The mission wasn't what was on Emile's mind at the moment though. He stared across the camp at Six as she prepared for the upcoming fight.

"What's on your mind, soldier?" Carter sat down on a crate beside Emile. He looked across the camp and spotted the female Spartan.

Emile huffed. "I was just thinking about Jorge. Just don't understand it." His voice was bitter and hurt.

"You knew Jorge well enough. He loved this planet and he wanted to save it. He was willing to give his life for that." Carter's eyes followed Six as she checked over her assault rifle and DMR. He wasn't exactly watching the woman but it was something to focus on while his mind wandered to the recent death of his Noble Five.

"But why? Why die saving her?" Emile's fist clenched and there was a hint of frustration to the words. "It's not fair."

Carter leaned forward, resting a forearm on his leg as he pulled on a chain around his neck. The Commander stared down at the light blue medallion in his hand. "It's never fair when we lose those we love."

Emile turned his gaze to the other man. He'd never heard Carter sound so hopeless. He was suddenly aware of how similar their situations were. Both had had the person most important to them ripped away by the Covenant, again. He felt like he should say something, but he was at a loss for words.

"There's only one thing we can do now. We complete our mission. We do whatever we have to in order to be sure we either save the planet, or go down fighting for it." Carter's gaze was unfocused as he spoke, and Emile got the idea that he was half speaking to himself.

"We'll take down every last one of them or die trying," Emile agreed.

Carter stood, regaining his composure. His voice became the same strong and authoritative voice that Emile was used to. "We'll be moving out soon. Be ready."

Carter moved to leave, but Emile spoke, causing him to stop in his tracks. "She deserved better. Jorge's death was unfair, but hers was a crime." Emile wasn't sure why he was saying anything, or showing any sign of concern for his leader. Maybe he was trying to pay back his leader for his comforting words. Maybe it was because he understood how hurt Carter was and his own pain made him weak enough to want to reach out to the other man, share in the bond they had in that moment. In truth it was likely because he really believed the words. Carter may have been the leader who held them all together, but Kat had always been the one that brought them together as more than just teammates. She helped to forge them into a family. She'd had a skill for knowing who should work with who and how to work past differences. She was always accepting of members and he couldn't think of a single member of the team that hadn't been friends with the woman. He knew she'd been the one to convince Carter to pair him with Jorge. He always felt like he owed her for that.

"I know it was a crime, maybe even a sin." Carter's words brought Emile back out of his thoughts. "That's why I'm going to make every last one of them suffer for it. I'm going to do her proud."

The Commander's tone of voice echoed in Emile's head. He'd heard that same tone from his own mouth after Karri's death. He watched Carter leave. Emile cursed the Covenant under his breath. How many more people would this fighting destroy like it had them? Emile made a vow to himself. Never again would he be human, not even for love. He would be a monster, under the leadership of a true demon, hell bent on making the Covenant extinct.


	32. Monster's end

**Pairing: Emile/Jorge**

**Title: Monster's end  
**

* * *

The feeling of the gun jerking with each shot was satisfying to Emile. Like he could feel each round as it hit the ships, sending Covenant soldiers to a fiery death. He wasn't really aware of the words he shouted as he shot his enemies out of the sky. He was slightly aware that he was shouting insults and vengeance for his fallen teammates.

The onslaught of ships stopped and Emile sat back in his seat. He was tired, but he knew he had to keep going. For now there were no enemies to fight, but he knew there would be more. Though his bones ached and his muscles were sore, he felt there was nothing more he could do for now. "I hope I did you proud, Jorge." He let his head fall back and stared up into the sky. He noticed a slight shadow a bit to the side. He recognized the shape.

"_Noble Four, I need fire on that cruiser or we're not getting out of here! Do you copy?_" The voice of Captain Keys was calm even with the threat looming overhead.

Emile switched on his radio. "You'll have your window, sir." Emile swung the gun around, taking aim at the cruiser. The pelicans started to take off, but the purple sleek lines of a phantom appeared. It opened fire, hitting an engine on the escorting pelican. It crashed to the ground near the platform. Emile checked his HUD and saw that Six's pulse had quickened, but that there was no report of any injuries. The second pelican fled as quickly as it could. Emile tried to swing the mass driver around to shoot the transport ship, but it moved above him. He couldn't get it from there and he knew what they had planned. They were going to take him out. Emile's hand moved to his shotgun.

A Zealot appeared and he shouted in surprise. The alien snapped its energy sword to life, but Emile fired first. The elite fell back, energy shield glowing silver and then flickering out. He opened the hatch and climbed onto the top of the mass driver, pumping another shot into the elite to kill it. He knew that there were more around. They always hunted in teams.

Emile stood strong on the top of the large gun. "Who's next?" This was what he wanted; he wanted a fight. He wanted to kill these Covies and make them pay for what they did to his team, to Jorge.

Pain shot through Emile's chest as two flowing blades protruded through his chest. The enemy's hand clamped around Emile's neck and the energy blade was yanked out of his chest by the Zealot.

Emile felt like he couldn't breathe and the pain was spreading through his body. His blood burned with anger and rage. There was no way he was going out like this. "I'm ready! How 'bout you?" Emile's hand moved to his right shoulder, grabbing the handle of his kukri. He swung around and the blade found its mark in the elite's throat. The alien stumbled and they tumbled down to the ground.

Emile hit the ground hard. He pulled his knife free of the alien's throat and tried to force himself to his feet. The zealot beside him struggled to try to get up and move, but Emile stopped it. He stabbed the elite in the left side of its neck. He tried to pull his blade back out but found that he no longer has the strength.

Emile's lungs burned and his legs were giving out under him. He moved over to the railing on the side, trying to use it for support. He had to help Six, had to stop the cruiser from destroying the _Autumn_. The AI had to be saved. His legs gave out and Emile fell to the ground, leaning back against the railing as he sat down.

His head fell back and he looked up at the sky. "Sorry, big man. Guess I failed. Reach will fall." He struggled to breathe as his chest slowly filled with blood. He only hoped that Six would make it in time, stop the cruiser. Maybe Jorge had been right to save her. She'd gotten through all of this and she had proven to be better than Emile had ever expected.

He had given it his all. He'd protected Six as Carter had ordered, and as Jorge had done on the corvette. He chuckled slightly, realizing that he was dying trying to protect Six just like Jorge. "You put so much trust in her. Let's hope that she can match up to it."

Emile looked up and his eyes widened slightly. Jorge stood over him, a shorter SPI-armored woman beside him. He recognized the demon carving right away. "Jorge, Karri." He didn't know what to say. They both reached up, removing their helmets. Karri smiled at him and Jorge knelt down a bit.

"You gave it your all. That's all we could ask." Jorge held out his hand and flashed one of his soft smiles to Emile.

The assault Spartan hesitated for a moment before he reached out, taking the Spartan II's hand. Jorge helped him up and Karri wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Jorge hugged the both of them in a big bear hug. Emile smiled as he felt himself be enveloped by his loved ones.

Six climbed down from the mass driver. She looked over at Emile and knelt down. She reached down to her belt and pulled out the dog tags. "I know that you didn't want to take them, but I think he always meant me to give them to you." She carefully took Emile's hand and placed them in his palm. She stared down at the hand as she curled his fingers around it. She looked up at his carved skull. Her hand moved up and she stopped before she reached the release of the EVA helmet. She wanted to know what his face looked like, but she decided against it. She'd prefer to remember him with the carved skull as his face.

"I envy you, you know. All of Noble. You all had such close bonds. Carter was so close with Kat, and somehow you and Jorge were such close friends." Six smiled behind her visor. "Say hello to him on the other side. I'll see you soon." Six stood up and looked around. "Hopefully not too soon. I'm going to take a page from your book. Take down as many of them as I can before I go." Six turned and walked along the walkway, leaving Emile with his fallen foe.


	33. Without Love

**Pair: Emile/Jorge**

**Title: Without love**

**Note: Warning, if you are not all right with guy/guy, then don't read this chapter. If you don't care about it being two dudes, then read on.  
**

* * *

Emile sat down on his cot. "Damn, why'd the Commander give us this job? We're better than being stuck with trivial duties like this." He wasn't at all happy about being stuck on this base. There'd been a recent rebel problem and the Captain on base had asked for some soldiers that had experience. Carter had sent them. Emile looked over to Jorge. The larger Spartan always seemed so comfortable out of his armor. Emile did admit that wearing his armor all the time did pose problems. It was hard to sleep lying down, and often people thought he was always angry. Jorge was one of the few Emile actually thought could read his emotions.

"Because Jun is too new to be away from the team and neither of us are particularly close with Thom." Jorge moved from his cot, across the room. He sat down beside Emile. He liked being close to whoever he was talking to.

"True, and there's no way the Commander would send Kat away from him." Emile crossed his arms. "Never further then the same planet as him."

"He does keep her close. But she's his partner. It's understandable." Jorge frowned. "Can't I talk to you face to face?"

"Why won't you admit the obvious about them?" Emile scowled. His arms pulled in closer to his chest. "You are talking to my face."

"I won't admit to gossip. If they were, they'd tell us." Jorge shook his head. "That's not your real face. Although I love deciphering those little body signals you give off, I'd rather read your face." Jorge reached out. Before Emile could stop him Jorge hit the release on the EVA helmet and pulled it off.

Emile looked horrified without his helmet, though it quickly changed to rage. "Give me my face back."

"I don't think so." Jorge stood up holding the helmet out of the Spartan III's reach.

Emile growled in rage. He moved forward and commenced trying to climb the larger Spartan. "You're built like a damn mountain." He climbed up to eye level and reached up trying to extend his fingers the remaining centimeters.

Jorge must have realized that he was about to grab it. He decided to take pity on the other man. He lowered his arm a bit and let Emile take hold of the helmet. A look of pure triumph crossed the violent man's face. Jorge smiled, amazed at how adorable Emile could look to him.

Emile noticed him staring and frowned. "What are you staring at, Godzilla?"

Emile didn't get the answer he expected. He'd expected a comment about how he didn't look threatening, or how he was cute as a bunny. Instead he was pulled closer to Jorge as the Spartan II's mouth covered his. At first Emile panicked. His instincts told him to push Jorge away, avoid all human contact. His instincts lost out to something else inside of him. Instead Emile closed his eyes and returned the kiss. His helmet slipped from his hand as he wrapped his arms around Jorge's neck.

Jorge finally broke the kiss and Emile let the larger man hold him. The soft smile on Jorge's face was charming, hiding his joy. Emile frowned and looked away. His shoulders slumped. "Put me down, Jorge."

Jorge's smile fell at the sudden rejection. The larger man did as requested and released Emile. "I don't understand. I thought you—" His gaze turned to the ground. "I'm sorry if I offended you, or upset you."

"It's not that." Emile shook his head. He reached down and picked up his helmet.

"Have you ever been in love, Emile?" Jorge took a step toward the smaller man.

"Once before." Emile turned his helmet over and stared at the skull. "But we are Spartans. We aren't human. We don't get to indulge in emotions like love." He turned the helmet back over and prepared to put it on.

Jorge put his hand on the helmet and stopped him. Emile frowned up at the other man. "What are we fighting for if not for those we love? Without love is there no reason to fight. You make all these jokes about the Commander and Lieutenant Commander. If you believe so much that they are in love then why can't you be? Why can't I be?"

"I don't think they are in love, just having sex." Emile sighed as Jorge frowned at him. "Fine, maybe there is something a bit deeper to it than that. But they aren't exactly the same as you or me."

"No, they would get in even more trouble than me or you. A commanding officer and his subordinate, both officers. But they are willing to risk it for their emotions. Why can't we?" Jorge's free hand moved to Emile's face and lifted his gaze so that Emile was looking up at him. "Why can't you love me?"

Emile hated to see the look of hurt on Jorge's face. "I just can't. I can't love anyone."

Jorge sighed nodded. He released the other man and moved over to his own cot. He stood beside it, staring down at the clean sheets. "Maybe one day you'll tell me why." He lay down on his cot.

Emile felt a pang of guilt, an emotion that was still rather foreign to him. He sat down on his cot and slipped his helmet on. Behind his carved face he felt safe and secure. Still, he felt the weight of the events that had just occurred. It settled on his shoulders and he lay down on his cot, completely miserable.


	34. Poker Night

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Poker Night  
**

* * *

John moved into the recreational room of the Spartan Building. It wasn't used often, since the Spartans found that training was a better use of time than sitting around. There was a ping-pong table to one side and a TV set up if they wanted to watch the news. There were chairs and tables where the Spartans held a monthly poker game. They often bet for things like duties, war trophies, credits, and occasionally favors. John hadn't competed in the games yet. He'd only been observing at the last event. He'd studied the game though, and felt he'd gotten good.

He spotted the person he was looking for at one of the tables. She was playing a game of solitaire, seeming to be rather bored with the game. John moved over and sat down in the seat across from her. "Hello, Bunny."

Kelly groaned. "Stop talking to Gabriel. You're starting to talk like him."

"I like the nickname. It suits you. You were always our rabbit and bunny is just a nicer way of saying rabbit." John glanced down at the game she was playing. "Winning?"

"It's a game for the lonely. You don't really win." Kelly looked down at the cards. John frowned as the sad look settled on her face. He knew she'd been feeling alone since she'd broken up with Fred.

"Well, maybe I can keep you company. Make it so you aren't so alone." Kelly looked at him, surprised. "I actually came here looking for you."

"It's taken you long enough to make a move," Kelly grumbled.

"Well, I'm not really making a move." Kelly raised an eyebrow at him. "I was hoping you'd play me in some one-on-one poker. Want some real practice before I go against a full table of pros."

Kelly gathered up the cards. "More fun than this." She collected the cards in a single stack. "You know the rules of betting?" John nodded. Kelly shuffled the cards. "Neither of us brought any war trophies and we don't have the means to bet credits so duties and favors it is."

Kelly dealt out the cards and John stared down at the red and black. He was sure to keep his face neutral. He looked over and saw Kelly relax in her chair. She looked up and smiled at him. It didn't give anything away. He'd seen her at the last game. She was always smiling. She just enjoyed the game.

Kelly frowned a bit. "I'll start by betting guard duty with Private Jaron next Tuesday."

"You don't like him?" John raised an eyebrow and leaned a bit toward her.

"He's a bit perverted for me. Gets on my nerves. Nothing over the line, just doesn't get that I'm not interested. Doesn't help that I'm single." Kelly shrugged. She didn't have anything personal against the guy. She was just tired of being hit on.

"All right. I bet working the armory with Corporal Baron. The guy acts like I'm a celebrity. I'm tired of him asking questions." John didn't mind people being fans from a distance, but the Corporal wanted to talk about his achievements all the time.

Cards were swapped out and John set his hand down. "A pair with ace high."

Kelly grinned and placed her hand down. "Three of a kind."

John looked down at the cards and shrugged. "I'm sure that Jaron will be heartbroken. Any man would be if they were missing out on spending time with you."

Kelly gathered up the cards again. "Would you just make a move? You've been flirting for the past week and I've been perfectly clear." She dealt out the cards and raised her hand of cards.

John looked down at his cards. He looked back up at Kelly and made a decision. "All right, if that is what you want. We'll make a bet of favors. If I win, I get a kiss, from you."

Kelly didn't hide her surprise. She didn't think he'd be that forward after taking it so slow. "And what if I win?"

"What do you want?" John leaned back in his chair.

Kelly thought about that for a few seconds before she replied. "If I win you have to say it. I want to hear you say it." Kelly locked eyes with him and John fully understood what she was asking. He nodded. Kelly relaxed a bit and they swapped out their cards.

The two Spartans sat staring at each other. Kelly finally placed down her cards. "Four of a kind."

John nodded and set his hand down, face down. "I guess my luck wasn't with me." He stood up and moved around the table. He pulled a chair over and sat down beside her. Kelly turned in her chair toward him. His hand reached out and took one of hers, holding it carefully. He took a deep breath and looked up into her eyes. "Kelly…" She looked down at the table, seeming to believe that he was never going to say it. The look of disappointment in her eyes cut him like a knife. He squeezed her hand and she looked back to him. He swallowed all the fear and worry that were keeping the words from his mouth. "Kelly, I love you. I have for…since it all started. I just…was afraid to tell you."

Kelly frowned for a moment. "I don't like the thought of you being afraid, though it might help to keep you in fear of me." She reached over and with an easy action forced them all to flip. She stared at the cards then looked at John. "Why did you lie? You have a royal flush."

John shook his head. "Never said that I didn't win. Only said that my luck wasn't with me." He smiled a bit. "Is it that hard to think I'd want to lose? That I wanted to tell you?"

Kelly smiled and pulled him toward her. "Well you did technically win, so you do deserve your victory." She leaned forward and brought their lips together. John leaned in as they deepened the kiss. John felt her arms wrap around his neck and he leaned back as she moved toward him, settling onto this lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

Kelly broke the kiss and looked down at him. "I'm only going to warn you of this once." John frowned in confusion. "If you ever hurt me again, it will be the last time. There won't be any more chances."

John nodded, and rested his head against her shoulder. "I won't hurt you." His arms clung to her. He was just glad to have her back in his arms, holding him back. He was glad to have her love again.


	35. Daisy

**Pairing: John/Daisy friendship, Daisy/Ralph, hints of John/Kelly**

**Suggested by: I don't at all remember.**

**Title: Daisy  
**

* * *

Daisy sat on her cot, staring at the empty cot next to it. It was his cot, his place beside her, now he was gone. He'd left only hours ago. She supposed she should be glad that he was alive; not all of the failures were. The augmentations hadn't taken. They'd sent him away. He couldn't be a Spartan like her.

Daisy hadn't noticed as the shadow settled over her. She only looked away from the empty cot when a weight had settled down beside her. Daisy looked over to see the familiar face of her squad leader. "Thinking about him?"

For some reason his tone annoyed Daisy. It was flat and unemotional. She was in pain and he felt nothing. "I just miss him. We were friends, partners, and…I just miss him." She looked down toward the floor. Without Ralph, something felt missing.

"You two were very close. Two of the only ones brought back after you ran off." Daisy flinched at John's words. She wasn't particularly proud of having run off, or of what she found when she did. She wondered if John knew. If he knew his family had never missed him, that they'd never even known he was taken. Did he even care? John had fully embraced being a Spartan, something she was sad to say she had resisted. Now, she realized this really was the only place she had. Her family didn't miss her, she was a freak compared to normal people, and she was still sort of struggling to get the hang of her changing body.

"Yeah, there was one other." Daisy shook her head. "That was a mistake. We shouldn't have left."

"I'm glad you came back, and Ralph came back. This squad is a family, and family stands by each other." John finally looked at Daisy. "I'm sure that wherever Ralph goes, that he'll be all right. He's alive, and I'm sure he'll go on. Maybe he'll return home, find a way to still help with the effort." He stood up. "As long as he's alive, he'll be fine."

Daisy resented the words. He was so calm about it. She didn't care that John had no idea that Ralph had no home to go back to. To his parents he was dead, his clone had died, and he'd killed it. She'd let Ralph believe she'd killed her own clone. It seemed to ease his guilt. "That reminds me, how is Kelly?" The words were blunt and she knew full well exactly what they meant. John had always been close to Kelly, and the speedy woman was still in the medical bay, recovering. There had been whispers and rumors among the surviving Spartans about Kelly. They'd all tried to keep it quiet out of respect toward Sam and John. No reason to rub it in their face that their friend was on the brink of death.

John's voice was carefully neutral as he replied. "No word on her condition yet. It is still unclear if she will survive." Daisy looked over at him and flinched at the look on his face. Either he didn't care or didn't realize that he was showing his fear. He was looking at the cot but he didn't seem to be seeing it. His eyes were unfocused as though looking into the past, lost in the memories and thoughts of his female friend.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I know you and Sam must be worried." Daisy fidgeted slightly. She regretted having said the words. She could only hope she'd be able to smooth it over. "She's strong, I know she'll pull through." Daisy smiled, trying to lighten the mood. She hadn't meant to upset her squad leader that much. "At what point have you known Kelly to quit on you? Before you know it she'll be back at your side."

John didn't seem to be comforted by her words. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "I hope so." He stood up, his face becoming perfectly neutral. "Come on, we need to get to medical. It's time for more of those scheduled shots."

Daisy groaned. "I hate those things. Ralph's lucky he doesn't have to deal with that." Daisy stood up and frowned. John nodded, not saying a word, and moved out of the barracks. Daisy trailed behind him, taking one last look back at the empty cot. She was content with knowing Ralph was alive somewhere, making a life for himself. She'd miss him, but it was better than losing him completely like might happen with Kelly. She put it all out of her mind for now. She needed to focus on fully recovering, and getting back to work.


	36. flirt

**Paring: Emile/Kat, Emile/Jorge, Kat/Carter**

**Title: Flirt  
**

* * *

Emile leaned up against the wall, staring out at the open area. "Have you ever noticed that the Commander puts us together in the field a lot?" Emile turned to look over at Kat. "Maybe he sees the chemistry between us." He let out a chuckle as his eyes roam over her body where she was crouched. The Lieutenant Commander wouldn't be able to see the gaze but from the way she shifted uneasily, it seemed like she could feel it.

"Chemistry? I wouldn't call this chemistry. It would border on the equivalent of a nuclear warhead going off." Kat connected a few wires. "Though you are good backup in the field. Best to have a close combat fighter to watch my back while I work."

"I'd be willing to watch your back all day." Emile smirked behind his helmet.

"Better keep your eyes above the waist. I can get you sent to the brig for harassment." Kat knew that Emile was watching her. She ignored it. Him looking really couldn't do her any harm.

Emile leaned a bit toward her. "Come on? You have to think that we would be a good fit. You—cold, better with tech. Me—a monster, cold, and only really good at killing. Seems like the two of us would fit together."

"Exactly, only good at killing. I need a partner that's good with people. Someone who's nice, like Jorge." Kat tapped her finger against her chin in thought. Emile seemed to stiffen at the mention of Noble Five.

Emile frowned and glared at the woman, though she couldn't see it. "Might not want to do that. Don't think I want Jorge to be court-marshaled because your boyfriend is jealous." The words were bitter and his voice was agitated.

"Maybe you should watch what you do. Carter's not the one you should be afraid of. I wouldn't hesitate to see you knocked down a peg if you get on my bad side." Kat turned her attention back to her work.

Emile tried to smooth out the annoyance that he could feel in the air. He put his hand over his heart as though he had been hurt. "You wound me. I can't believe you'd be so mean."

"Don't underestimate me, Emile. Keep in mind that Carter is the only person on Noble who can order me around. All others have to listen to me." Kat finished patching up the circuit and replaced the cover.

"Not that you listen to Carter all the time. Don't think I've been on a mission with you two where he didn't have to scold you for getting into something you shouldn't have." Emile stood up as the Lieutenant Commander stood to work at the now fixed terminal. Emile moved up behind her, only a few centimeters between them. "I don't see what you see in the Commander anyway. The man's stuffy and so serious."

"Why does it matter to you?" Kat looked back at him. She hesitated, and chose her words carefully. "What would make the Commander a bad choice? What would be wrong with choosing him? What if he made me happy?"

"If he makes you happy, then why are you flirting with me?" Emile tilted his head to the side as he waited for an answer.

"Who said that I was flirting with you? Not to mention, you can't flirt, or you would flirt back with him." Kat tapped the terminal, reading over the data and trying to ignore Emile.

"I haven't flirted with anyone but you."

"No, you haven't." The words were annoyed. "He tries so hard and you just ignore all of his attempts. Would rather have it be a fight then pleasant conversation. Though if this is flirting for you, maybe you are just so naive that you don't realize he's flirting." Kat turned to look back at him, trying to gauge Emile's reaction.

Emile crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"Yeah, you're just that naïve." Kat sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know who I'm talking about, and I know you know what I'm talking about. You could at least try to return it."

Emile took a step toward her, setting his hands on her waist. "If I'm so naïve, maybe you could teach me a thing or two."

"In your dreams." Kat turned toward him, frowning, as she felt his hand move over her side. Her COM activated and she pushed him forcefully away. Emile let out a groan and muttered something about second place.

"_Noble Two, what is your status?_" Carter's voice was clear and strong over the radio.

Kat turned away from Noble Four and activated her radio. "We've got the system up and running. We're ready for your arrival."

"Aw, no more alone time." Emile grinned and his hand reached toward Kat.

The Lieutenant Commander jumped as she felt the hands on her rear. "Keep your hands off." She glared at the male Spartan who grinned behind his visor.

"_Kat, what's going on?"_ Carter's voice held a tone that wasn't very familiar. He was annoyed, more that he wasn't there to stop whatever it was, with a hint of what Kat could only identify as jealousy.

"It's nothing, Commander. Just Emile messing around. The area's clear so he's gotten a bit bored." Kat took a step away from Emile, wanting more space between them.

"_Well, tell him to keep his hands to himself. You can punish him for insubordination._" Carter seemed fully agitated now.

"I assure you I would not hesitate to see him demoted."

Emile looked over at her. "Aw, can't we just go with the punishment thing. Bet you give out great punishment." Emile chuckled and Kat shook her head.

"Go watch the door." Kat motioned to him and then turned away. "What is your ETA?"

"_We'll be at your location in two minutes. Try to behave until then." _Carter's tone was lighter, and Kat let out a sigh of relief.

"Copy, Noble One. We'll be waiting." Kat turned off the radio and moved over to stand beside Emile. They stood at the doorway, watching for the falcon. "You know you didn't seem at all surprised that I know about you and Noble Five."

Emile glanced over at her. "No one ever called you stupid, Kat. You're smart, really smart. I know that you'd see it. Carter is our leader but he doesn't pay attention to that part of his soldiers. He leaves us to that as we want to be. You, you pay attention. I know you're the one that pushed us together."

Kat shrugged. "You were cold, Jorge was warm. I thought both of you could help balance each other. You do well in the field together, I was right. I didn't see anything other than you two being close coming from it. Carter doesn't see it at all. He often misses things like that."

Emile shifted and looked at Noble Two. "You and the Commander aren't, are you?" Kat shook her head. "Guess that explains a bit." Kat looked at him and he sighed. "It explains why you'll flirt with me. You don't strike me as a disloyal woman. Don't think you'd flirt with me if you and he were…" Emile trailed off. "I think I see them."

Kat nodded as she spotted the dot in the sky. "That would be them."

"Well, it was fun." Emile tapped two fingers against where the mouth of his carved skull would be and then tapped the fingers against the side of Kat's helmet. "Maybe you can punish me later for bugging you."

"In your dreams. It's a much better punishment not to punish you." She struck forward, colliding their helmets together.

Emile flinched back and broke into laughter. "That's my CO." He leaned back against the wall and the two Spartans watched as the falcon approached, carrying the rest of their team.


	37. Reach

**Praing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Reach  
**

* * *

John was checking over his gear, grabbing enough ammunition to be able to supply him for the full mission. He finished gathering his supplies and turned around, surprised to find Kelly standing in his way. She didn't move and didn't say anything. "Is there something you need?"

"Why am I on Red Team?" John could hear the hurt in her voice. "Why am I going down to the planet?"

John flinched at her tone. He would admit that his choice was out of the ordinary. He always kept her close, watching his back, but he was sending her on a completely different mission. "It's not that big of a deal, Kelly."

"I'm always at your back. Why are you taking Linda instead of me?" Kelly reached up, removing her helmet and allowing John to see the visible pain on her face.

John's shoulders slumped as he saw the look on her face. He did feel bad. It felt like he was betraying her by not having her as his Blue Two. He removed his own helmet, deciding that this was a discussion best done face to face, something it seemed they never did any more.

"Reach is important, it cannot fall." Kelly listened intently, waiting for him to expand on his answer. "This space op might not change anything, but if Reach falls, then all of humanity will be in trouble. We can't allow it to fall. I want to take you with me, I do, but you are better used on the ground." John placed a hand on her shoulder. "Fred is going to need you to back him up, and I know that you'll be able to do it. You've always had my back, now he's going to need you. Make sure that this mission doesn't fail and stay alive. I know you won't fail."

"I'm the one that should be telling you to stay alive." She smiled a bit. "You won't have me to watch your back and keep you alive."

"I promise I'll come back alive. I'll join you down on the planet and we'll drive the Covenant off our home." John smiled to her.

Kelly frowned at his words. "Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep." She looked down for a moment before she moved forward, pulling John toward her. Their lips collided and John hesitantly returned the kiss.

The kiss broke but John kept her from pulling too far away. "I'll see you on the planet. Nothing can stop me from being there." He released her and Kelly took a step back. John looked over her shoulder as Fred appeared in the door way.

"Sir, Red Team is ready to go." Fred looked to Kelly. "You ready to go, Red Two?"

Kelly nodded and put her helmet back on. "Ready to go, sir." He moved over to him and glanced back over her shoulder at John.

John nodded to her and the two Spartans moved off. He felt a sudden fear, like it was going to be a long time before he saw her again. John pushed the unease to the back of his mind. He had a mission to get to, one that he couldn't fail.


	38. Stargazing

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title:Stargazing**

* * *

Kelly was walking briskly on the treadmill, fully focused on the scene before her. She smiled as she watched Fred pin Tom down to the mat. Lucy sat to the side and silently laughed at them. The entire scene was so peaceful. It was moments like this that reminded Kelly of how much things had changed. IT was also good to see Fred back to his relaxed former self. She had to admit she was remembering why she had loved him.

Arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her from the machine. She let out a cry of surprised and looked back to see John. "John, what are you doing?" She leaned back toward him.

"Nothing really. Just wanted to see if a beautiful Petty Officer would have some time for me." John nuzzled against her neck. "So what do you say?"

Kelly shrugged. "I guess I have some time to spare."

"Excellent." John lifted Kelly up and slung her over his shoulder. She let out a sort of squeal of surprise at the sudden action.

The three other Spartans in the gym turned toward them. Tom looked completely confused while Lucy was smiling happily. Fred frowned but upon seeing Kelly look at him his features became neutral. He was jealous but didn't want her to see. He'd always been concerned for her feelings. She blushed, feeling a bit guilty. Here she was being whisked away by John and she was again focusing on Fred.

John turned a corner and the other Spartans were gone. She turned her attention back to the man that was abducting her. "You don't have you carry me, you know."

"What? Think I can't carry a feather like you?" John shifted his hand a bit on her leg and she felt his hand travel a bit up her thigh. Kelly fell silent, unable to form words. They were in public, well sort of public, and he was being rather forward.

John took them to the garage where he finally set Kelly down. Kelly dusted herself off before turning her attention to the selection of vehicles. "Mongoose or warthog?" She looked around at the vehicles. They didn't get used that often. Anywhere they needed to go on base was within walking distance.

"Mongoose, our destination isn't that far away." John climbed aboard and Kelly climbed onto the back. They sped off over the base. Darkness had fallen about an hour ago and the only source of illumination now were the lights strung up along the dirt roads. John ignored the lights, moving off into the darkness. He brought them to a stop a few minutes later and they dismounted.

"Why are we here?" Kelly looked around at the open field and frowned. There wasn't anything there and she didn't know what it was that John had planned.

"I thought we'd partake in an old pastime of ours." John moved over to a rock to the side of the field. He sat down and patted the ground beside him.

Kelly looked up to the sky and then walked over to him. "You want to stargaze?" She couldn't really believe it. He was either sick in the head or finally learning to relax.

"Yes, I do. We haven't done it since before our augmentations." John reached out and grabbed her wrist, tugging it lightly to try to get her to sit down. Kelly finally sat down and John slung his arm over her shoulder, leaning back against the rock.

Kelly leaned against him and stared up at the sky above them. "It really has been so long since we've done this. So much has changed."

"Back then training was all we were worried about." John smiled a bit to himself. "Now we're older, different things to worry about."

"What do we really have to worry about any more? I mean can you remember a time this peaceful? What do we really have to worry about?" Kelly looked over at him.

"I will admit we don't have any universal problems to worry about. No wars, or things like that, but everyone has personal worries." John stared at her, seemingly half lost in his own head.

"And what worries might the mighty Master Chief have?" Kelly tilted her head to the side, confused by his look. She couldn't tell what was going on in his head at that moment and it was odd. She usually could read him pretty well.

"Well, off the top of my head, a black- and grey-haired man that's trying to steal the love of my life." John frowned. "And other things."

"You actually consider Fred to be a threat?" Kelly was a bit surprised. John didn't ever strike her as the kind of guy that would be worried about losing. He always won. "What else are you worried about?"

"I've never been competing against someone for something that meant this much." John shook his head. "Not until you tell me a worry that you have, and don't say you don't have any. I know that's a lie."

Kelly sighed and thought for a moment. "I'm worried about having to choose between you and Fred, hurting one of you." Kelly looked to the sky. "Now what are you worried about?"

"Do you want a family?" Kelly turned to look at John, but his face was carefully blank.

Kelly shrugged. "I don't know. Never thought much about it, seems like a painful endeavor. Now stop dodging my question."

"I'm not dodging it. That is my worry. The future. Do you ever want to get married, have children, maybe adopt one?" John looked over at her and Kelly raised an eyebrow. "You haven't given that any thought?"

Kelly shook her head. "No. I mean Fred brought up kids one time, but that was more in connection to wondering what would have happened if the Spartan IIIs had been adopted not picked up by the UNSC. You've actually given this a lot of thought."

"Well, I sort of have. I had this dream in cryo sleep, about us. We were so happy. I've never felt that happy before. I guess I just want to be that happy with you. We had two kids and were married, and had a nice house." John looked away from her. He seemed embarrassed that he'd put more thought into it then she had.

"Well, you can forget two kids." John looked back to her and her head shook slightly. "No way in hell I'm popping out two kids."

John smiled and stared up at the sky. "All right, then only one kid." He chuckled slightly. "You know our relationship started stargazing." Kelly's fist hit his shoulder. "Ow, what was that for?"

"That was because back then you said you wanted to meet alien life. We did, and it nearly killed both of us." Kelly scowled at him.

John pulled her closer and she rest her head on his shoulder. "Well, I don't regret meeting the elites. They are interesting. It's really just those brutes and prophets. Thorn in our sides."

Kelly pursed her lips. "Feels like I've hated them for eons." She shifted and lay down so that she could use John's lap as a pillow. She stared up at him and smiled. "You have names in mind if we do have a kid?"

John shrugged. "I do. Though I'd be open to debate on the girl's name. If it's a boy, I have the perfect name."

"Stop talking like I'm pregnant." Kelly frowned at him.

"If you aren't already I'm sure that we could easily rectify that." John flinched as her fist hit his chest. He chuckled and let his head fall back as he stared up at the sky. They were happy and at peace in the light of the stars. Whatever lay ahead for them, Kelly was sure they could handle it together.


	39. Anniversary

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Kelly/Fred**

**Title: Anniversary**

* * *

Kelly rolled over, easing awake as she realized something was missing. She sat up, looking around the room. Where was John? She checked his usual spot on the bed and found it was still warm. She quickly got dressed and set to trying to find him.

Kelly checked all the usual places. The recreation area, the gym, and the firing range. She gave up on her search when she found the locker room empty. She could only guess he must have been called away for some sort of meeting. She sat down on one of the benches, leaning back against the lockers.

"Someone doesn't look happy." Kelly turned toward the voice and spotted Fred moving out of the showers. "What's got you down?" The Lieutenant moved to his locker and opened it. He stopped, turning to look over his shoulder at her. "Are you going to turn away? Don't think John would like you looking at my rear."

"I can look if I like. John's not here." Kelly crossed her arms over her chest. Her tone was similar to that of a child, angry at their best friend.

"That's what you're upset about?" Fred raised an eyebrow. "He gets called to meetings some times. It's not that big of a deal." He dropped his towel and glanced back. Kelly was still staring at him. "Wow, that upset." He turned around and Kelly looked away. "So, mad enough to look at the back but not the front." Fred grabbed some clothes out of his locker and got dressed.

Kelly stared at the showers until she heard Fred sit down beside her. She looked over at him when he leaned against her. She frowned. "You should put on a shirt."

Fred grinned at her disapproval. "Not until you tell me why him being gone has you so annoyed."

Kelly huffed unhappily. Fred leaned a bit more against her and she sighed. "It's just, why did he have to be gone today?" Kelly leaned against her friend, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Why is today all that special?" Fred let his head rest against hers, just enjoying the contact.

"It's our first anniversary."

Fred didn't say anything right away. "I'm sure that he was just called away or something. He'll be back before you know it."

Kelly sat up. "You think he forgot."

Fred shook his head. "No, I think you think he has. John's not a forgetful person." He stood up and moved over to his locker, grabbing a shirt. "Come on, I'll help you keep your mind off his absence."

Kelly stood up and smirked. "I am definitely sure John would not approve of that."

Fred put on a mock look of surprise. "Why Kelly, I had no idea you had such a dirty mind." He started to laugh and put an arm over Kelly's shoulder, leading her out of the locker room. "I was thinking something more along the lines of a card game."

Kelly sat at the table grinning at the man across from her. She held almost a full deck of cards in her hand. Fred, on the other hand, had only a few still in his hand.

"Remind me, why do I play this game with you?" Fred groaned as she picked up the last of her newly acquired cards.

"Because you like getting beaten." Kelly slapped down the top card in her stack. The two alternated placing down cards in until Fred ran out. "And I remain the queen."

Fred leaned back in his seat, glancing over at the clock. "Wow, we've been playing games for hours."

Kelly's shoulders slumped as she realized how late it was. "He did forget."

Fred didn't reply to the comment. Instead he stood up. "I'll get us some dinner." He moved out of the room.

Kelly sat at the table, staring at the wall. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, trying to ease her mind. She couldn't believe that John would forget their anniversary. She heard the footsteps, something being set down on the table, and felt warm arms wrap around her. Kelly leaned into the warmth.

Kelly's eyes opened and she looked back at Fred. He looked back and she could see the concern in his eyes. "So what kind of food did they have?"

"Seems it was burger night." Fred motioned toward the table. "Got you one just the way you like it. No pickle, no mayo, and extra ketchup."

Kelly smiled at him. "You know me so well." Fred released her and sat down across the table from her. The two conversed over their dinner, having a rather pleasant time.

Kelly leaned back in her chair, smiling softly at the man across from her. "Thank you, Fred, you really made this day better."

"I'm sorry you couldn't spend it with him." Fred gave her an apologetic smile. "I know you really wanted to. I'm sure whatever it was, it was very important."

Kelly shrugged. "I hope so, or he's in a hell of a lot of trouble." She stood up and moved around the table, leaning over and kissing Fred's cheek. "Still, thank you, Fred." He grinned at her and she bid him good night before she left the room and headed back to her sleeping quarters.

Kelly was woken a few hours later as John slid into bed beside her. She felt his arms wrap around her and he settled into his usual position spooning her. She waited but after a while she could hear the steady quiet breath and she knew he had fallen asleep. She felt crestfallen. He hadn't said anything, apologized, or even acknowledged that he had missed the day. She shut her eyes and tried to push those thoughts out of her mind. She finally got to sleep a few hours later.


	40. Alive

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title:Alive**

* * *

John walked through the hallways of the Covenant ship. He didn't like this slipspace anomaly. It made it hard to tell time and he had no idea how long they had been in space or how much longer it would be until they reached their destination. He wasn't even sure what day it was.

John stopped as he spotted another Spartan. He recognized her movements and noted that each step was hesitant. "Kelly." The other Spartan stopped and turned to him. He moved to stand before her, not exactly sure what to say. He felt guilt over all that he had put her through. When he'd sent her to the ground mission he thought he was sending her to the easier of the two missions. If he'd taken her with him on the space-op maybe she would have been safer, or she'd have been with him on the Halo. No, he wouldn't have wanted that. He was pretty sure that if that had happened they both wouldn't have survived. He would have never forgiven himself if she had died on that ring.

"John, is everything all right?" Kelly waved her hand in front of his face and he was snapped out of his head.

John grabbed her wrist. He felt her flinch just a tiny bit at the contact. He released her right away. "Everything's fine, I was just lost in my head for a moment." An awkward silence hung in the air. "So how are your injuries?"

"I'm fine. I'll be ready when you need me." Kelly stood up a bit taller as she spoke. John knew it was a lie. She had second degree burns on 72 percent of her body, she wasn't all right.

He reached up and she didn't make a move to stop him. John hit the release on her helmet and pulled it off. He looked at her, noticing the slight burns that peeked out around her neck. It felt like an eternity since he had seen her face. He'd seen her face before they'd left for their missions on Reach but that seemed like forever ago. He was slightly aware of her removing his helmet and smiling at him. John felt her gauntleted hand run over his cheek.

"I thought I'd lost you." John reached up and placed a hand over the one on his cheek. He wished that they could be out of their armor, able to feel each other more.

"I'm not that easy to get rid of." Kelly smirked at him. "I'm just glad that you kept your promise."

John squeezed her hand slightly. "You know me. When I make a promise…"

"You keep it."

John released the helmet in his hand and before it hit the floor he'd pulled Kelly to him, bringing their lips together. The second helmet hit the floor as Kelly's hands moved to John's neck and head, pulling him closer. The two clung to each other, trying to deepen the kiss, though their armor prevented it.

John pulled away, trying to regain his breath. He kept Kelly close, unwilling to let her go. He feared that if he let her go they would be separated again, and he wasn't sure how he would handle that. He had just gotten her back, and she was damaged as well.

John opened his mouth. He wanted to say it, wanted to tell her, but he chickened out. He shut his mouth again and Kelly took a step back, forcing John to let her go. She knelt down and grabbed one of the helmets, slipping it on. She paused for a moment before she took the helmet off. "This one is yours." She handed it to him and he was forced to take it. She picked up her own and slipped it on. There was a slight pause. "I'll be ready to fight when you need me." She turned and walked away.

John looked down at his helmet, cursing himself. Why couldn't he just say it, tell her how he felt? Why was he such a coward when it came to her?

Note: 100 reviews for this story. I'm so proud. I love hearing from all of you. Thank you all for reading and I hope to continue to continue to get reviews from you all.


	41. Sacrifice

**Pair: Jorge/Emile**

**Title: Sacrifice**

* * *

Jorge watched as Six fell down toward the planet below. He was trusting her with the fate of Reach, with standing by his partner. He turned back to the bomb and moved over to it. "I hope you appreciate this." Jorge glanced over his shoulder. He wondered where he was at that moment. He hoped he was off killing some Covenant. Then he'd be happy. "Ain't going to be so happy when he finds out about this."

Jorge armed the bomb and turned back toward the view of Reach below. It would be the last time that he saw his home. "I'm doing this for you, you know? I want you to survive, live on. I've had friends in the past, but never have I been as close to someone as you." The Spartan II let out a long breath. "You were something special."

Jorge furrowed his brow in confusion. Why was he talking out loud? He couldn't hear him, so it didn't matter. He wondered for a moment if he would hate him for doing this. He had been hurt in the past, his partner giving up his live to save him. How many old wounds would be reopened, and had they ever healed up at all to start with? "Seems that we both thought you worth dying for." A warm smile spread over Jorge's face. Despite his exterior, they'd both seen him as something more than just a killer. Jorge wondered if he had always been such a killer, or if there was a time when he was human, when he had feelings and emotions that he didn't push down.

Jorge took a deep breath and moved over, grabbing a shotgun that had been dropped by a fallen marine. He smiled at it. Jorge had never been a bit fan of them, rather preferring his turret, but that little monster had loved the close quarter's weapon. He thought it was fitting, let himself go out with a symbol of his partner. The gun felt small in his hands. It felt a bit odd but Jorge held it carefully, as though afraid if he gripped too hard he'd damage it. "Always did like to kill the enemy up close and personal. That got something to do with the past as well?" He frowned as he realized that he didn't know half as much as he wanted to know about his partner. He supposed now he would never know.

Jorge stared at the button that would seal his fate. He was starting to question why he was doing this. He remembered why, to save his planet, to save his partner. Jorge set a hand against the bomb and let his head hang a little. "You know, I know you might hate me for it, but I don't regret it. I'm sure she didn't regret it." A smile crossed over his face. "Our time was very short, but I'll cherish it forever. Hope it meant as much to you."

He took a moment to remember all their time together. All the hard missions, the nearly impossible tasks that they'd done, all the arguments they'd had which only seemed to bring them closer, and the few precious times he'd seen the human side. He'd always been such a complicated individual, hard to figure out and reluctant to share. Jorge wondered if the past was the only cause of that, or if Emile had ever been human.

Jorge hit the button and the terminal lit up. The beeping became faster and faster and he knew what was going to happen. "I love you." The slipspace drive activated and he was swallowed up with the midsection of the ship, lost in the emptiness of slipspace.

Emile stopped in his tracks. Something was wrong, very wrong. He felt a pain in his chest and a feeling of sorrow crept in. He didn't understand where it had come from. Emile looked up toward the sky, trying to figure it out. "Big man?" His voice was just barely above a whisper.

"Emile? What's wrong?" Carter stopped and looked back at the violent Spartan. "You all right?"

Emile looked back to Carter and nodded. "Yeah, just got a bad feeling is all." He gripped his shotgun tighter. Emile pushed aside his discomfort. He couldn't help but feel that he'd known this feeling in the past. Felt it when he'd lost her. He closed his eyes, pushing that thought aside and switching off his radio. He didn't want anyone to hear him. "You better come back to me, buddy. Don't know what I'd do if you didn't." He sighed and cursed himself. He was being so human, and he couldn't even do that properly. Even with no one listening he couldn't say it. "Fucking humanity."


	42. Making Up

Note: 104 reviews so I thought I would celebrate Fred's number with a little John Kelly.

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Making up**

* * *

John rolled over, and his hand traveled over the empty half of the bed. The Master Chief sat up, looking over where Kelly should have been lying. He frowned, surprised not find her in her normal space. He got out of bed and quickly got dressed, heading for the recreational room. He didn't find Kelly, but he found Fred sitting on a couch, reading over the daily news. "Have you seen Kelly?"

Fred didn't look up from what he was reading. "She went into town. She'll be back after lunch. Why do you care?" Fred's tone was harsh, as though John had wronged him in some way.

John was genuinely surprised by the other man's attitude. "Because I need her out of the base, and I need your help with setting something up."

"Why should I help you? You do realize what yesterday was? Kelly wasn't too happy, and I don't like when you make her unhappy." Fred finally looked back at the other Spartan.

"I know what yesterday was, and I didn't miss it on purpose. Cortana scheduled me for testing some equipment and she couldn't get me out of it. I'm using it to my advantage though." John moved around the couch and sat down beside Fred. "I have something big planned, and I need your help."

Fred sighed and fully turned his attention to John. "Fine, but only if it makes her happy again. She wasn't happy this morning when she left."

"I promise that it will." John started to lay out his plans for later in the day.

Kelly leaned against the passenger's side of the door. The day in town getting supplies for Dr. Halsey had been a good use of her time. It helped to get her mind off of the day before. The warthog pulled into the base and Kelly was surprised to find Fred waiting for her when she arrived.

Kelly exited the hog and decided that she could leave the soldiers to deliver the supplies. She walked over to Fred who was leaning against his own warthog. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you somewhere to make you less unhappy then you were earlier." Fred patted the side of the warthog. "Now get in."

"Well, you're a bit late. Just getting off base did a lot of that for you." She moved around the vehicle and climbed in. "So where are we going?"

"You always want to spoil the surprise." Fred climbed in as well and hit the ignition, moving off through the base. He didn't stop until he reached the practice yards. "This would be your stop."

Kelly climbed out of the warthog and looked around. "Why are we here?" She turned to get an answer from Fred but found that the warthog was already moving away. Kelly was left in the open field, staring at the man she least wanted to see at the moment. She turned her back to him and crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

John moved up behind her placing his hands on her hips. "Your forgiveness for not being around yesterday." He pulled her toward him and she let him. "I know what yesterday was, but powers outside of my control kept me away. I want to make it up to you."

Kelly hesitated, not sure if she really was ready to forgive him. "I'll see what you have to offer, and then decide if I forgive you."

"Well, I thought we'd start with a nice meal." John released her and moved around to lead her across the field. Kelly reluctantly followed. She still wasn't convinced. "I thought we'd do something we've never done before." He motioned to the blanket on the ground.

"So you're going with picnic?" Kelly was a bit surprised. It was rather old fashioned, something she'd expect from Fred, but not from John.

"That's what people used to do. I thought we might try something classic." John held a hand to help her sit down but she ignored it, still a bit mad at him. He sat down beside her and started to unpack their food. He'd brought a few kinds of breads, some meats, and vegetables. "Sadly they wouldn't give me much that I could take out of the mess hall."

Kelly shrugged. Sandwiches were still better than what they usually got in the field. "Just so you know, you're competing against Fred right now. We had a very nice night yesterday." John cursed, though she barely caught it. "So what did keep you away yesterday?"

"I got scheduled for some testing of equipment. I tried to get Cortana to change the date, but they wouldn't budge." John set to work making their sandwiches. He glanced over at Kelly and recognized the look on her face. "It doesn't mean anything."

"You just don't want it to mean what it means." Kelly watched him carefully, being sure that he didn't put anything she didn't like on her sandwich. Surprisingly he made it perfectly, exactly what she wanted on it. "I'm sure that Dr. Halsey would have rescheduled if you'd talked to her directly."

John handed her the food and she took it. "Fine, maybe you are right. Maybe she is jealous." Kelly knew he was still fighting it. He didn't want to believe that the AI would do anything like trying to get between them, but Kelly recognized a rampant AI when she saw one, and Cortana was long past rampancy.

The two ate and chatted lightly. Kelly was still a bit closed off from wanting to talk to him, and he seemed to want to act like nothing had happened. It sort of annoyed her. The sun had started to dip in the sky and Kelly watched as the sky started to change colors.

"You're still not off of the hook." Kelly didn't look at John. "It's going to take more than a picnic to make up for missing yesterday."

John stood up. "Then I think it's time for the final activity I have planned to make you forgive me." John held out his hand and helped Kelly stand up.

Kelly frowned, crossing her arms. "We are not doing that, not while I'm still this mad at you?"

John chuckled. "Wow, Fred is right. You have a very dirty mind." John shook his head. "That's not what I have in mind. I was thinking a race, though I'd get a ten second head start so that I could have even a little chance."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "So you want to do something even dumber then forgetting out anniversary?" She shrugged. "Sure, we'll race, though I don't see the point."

John smiled a bit wider. "Well if I win than you have to forgive me. If you win, than I'm your servant for the next month. Waiting on you hand-and-foot, all the while still trying to come up with a way to get you to forgive me."

Kelly thought about it for a moment. She did like the idea of John being her servant, not that he wouldn't have to be in order to get her to forgive him. "Fine, I'm in." She had no doubt that she would win.

John tried to hide his excitement that she agreed but she could still see it. "Great, then how about a race to the bell?" John pointed across the open practice rounds to where a bell was hanging.

Kelly shrugged. "Sounds good to me." Kelly moved to stand beside John and started to prepare. "But you only get a five second head start. If I give you more than that you'd reach the bell before I even started." John nodded, agreeing to the change. They both lined up and then John took off. Kelly counted to five before she took off as well.

The entire race took less than a minute. John had the lead, but Kelly's higher speed had him passing him in a matter of seconds. She grinned as she reached the bell first, ringing it. She stopped as she felt something on the end of the rope hit against her arm. Kelly held the rope in her hand, starting at the item.

John reached her and the bell and stood beside her. He was watching her carefully and she looked toward him, waiting for him to explain. "I wanted to do it yesterday, just so you know."

Kelly undid the string that held the object onto the rope. She held it in her hand and stared down at the simple gold band with a small but elegant diamond. "Is this what I think it is?"

John nodded and got down on one knee. "Kelly, will you marry me? I got it cleared and everything." He took her hand and took the ring from her. "I want to keep my promise."

Kelly just stared at him ,not sure what to say. She finally smiled a bit and shook her head. "John, I gave you the answer to that when we were teenagers, when you made your promise. That was my answer then, and that is my answer now."

John slipped the ring on her finger. Grinning he stood, placing a kiss on her lip. "I love you, Kelly." He pulled her against him. "So do you forgive me?"

Kelly wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think you can say you're forgiven." She smiled and pulled him to her and into another kiss.


	43. Wedding

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Wedding**

* * *

John paced nervously, trying his hardest to stay calm. He straightened the clean pressed black dress uniform. Despite the fact that neither Kelly or he were officers they had agreed that the tradition of getting married in uniform seemed to suit them better. John had been glad for it. He didn't think he'd be comfortable in anything other than his uniform. Even with familiar comfort of the dress uniform he couldn't seem to calm himself down at all. His nerves refusing to settle and thoughts raced through is head.

"You need to stop pacing like that before you wear a hole in the ground." Fred put a hand on John's shoulder, causing the Master Chief to stop. "Now let's go, or we'll be late and I don't want to see her kill you."

John smiled at his friend and they made their way through the base. "Thank you again for this. I was a bit afraid that you wouldn't want to be my best man. I am marrying the woman you dated, after all."

Fred grinned. "John, you're my best friend, and you make Kelly happy. What else could I possibly desire?" They entered the conference room. Lord Hood stood in his best uniform and Linda already stood in the room. The two men moved over to them and John nervously took his place before Lord Hood.

"Are you ready to start?" Hood smiled at the Master Chief, who nodded. "Gabriel, please tell them that we are ready."

The angel avatar appeared, nodding. He paused for a moment. "They are on their way." Music started to filter through the overhead speakers; the familiar sound of the wedding march.

The door opened and Mendez walked in, Kelly on his arm. The man was the closest thing that either of them knew of as a father and Kelly had insisted that he be the one to give her away. As soon as John saw Kelly all his nerves calmed and his fears vanished. The pair walked up to the rest of the group. Mendez handed Kelly off and she took her place across from John. John stared at Kelly. She looked beautiful and he was stunned. She wore the white uniform of an officer, the slim fabric accentuating her figure, and he smiled at the skirt that only fell to half way down her thigh. Kelly noticed him staring and he could see the slight blush on her cheeks. John was honestly surprised by the uniform. Kelly wasn't an officer so he wasn't sure how she'd managed to get one, but he did have to admit that the white fabric did make up for the lack of a proper wedding dress.

The two were snapped back to reality as Lord Hood started to speak. John really didn't remember much of the ceremony. He was focused fully on Kelly the whole time. He recalled repeating his vows, slipping the ring onto her finger, and her slipping the ring onto his. They'd thought of doing their own vows, but the idea of pouring out any part of their emotions before others wasn't really something that appealed to them. John found himself getting lost in the pure joy of knowing that this wasn't a dream, it was reality.

Lord Hood read from the old leather bound Bible, though John wasn't paying attention. He was only snapped back to it as they reached the end. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." John pulled Kelly toward him and they met in a gentle kiss that only lasted a second.

The group then proceeded to the recreation room where the Spartans had a proper celebration. Lord Hood had brought a bottle of Champaign and they all had a glass. One of the cooks in the kitchen had even taken the time to make a small take, even decorating it with a rather well drawn Spartan logo. The Spartan IIs shared old memories from back during their training, and both Linda and Fred gave short speeches wishing Kelly and John happiness. It wasn't until around midnight that John and Kelly finally left the party.

The newly married couple returned to their room, gladly engaging in consummation of their new status as married. Kelly lay on top of John, enjoying the warmth from the man under her as her fingers traced over one of his scars. She felt John kiss the top of her head and Kelly clung a bit tighter to him. "You know, those traditional vows just didn't seem to suit us."

John sat up a bit, causing Kelly to have to shift in order to remain leaning against his chest. "We agreed that we were going to use those vows. We didn't want to write our own."

Kelly sat fully up and looked down at the ring on her left hand. "I know, but…I guess I just thought…I mean we didn't do them because there were people around. We're alone now, so…" She fiddled with the ring on her finger.

John smiled softly at her. "I think I get what you mean. Not big on the public, but private there's no issue." He shifted and removed the ring from her finger and his own. He passed his ring to her and took her left hand. He didn't speak right away, deciding how he wanted to start. "Kelly, you are…there aren't words for what you are. You're the person who reminds me that I'm human, who in the darkest times is my light. You've always had my back, and whenever I've faced something I didn't think that I could handle, you were there to help me through it. I wouldn't be half the man I am if not for you. I promise that I will always love you and that I will make you happy for the rest of your life." He slipped the ring on and leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek.

Kelly shifted to take John's left hand. He flinched as she put pressure on a sensitive area and she shifted again until he let out a slight sigh of relief. She grinned as she spoke. "John, you make me happier than any other man. You make me feel like I'm the only girl in the universe, and you make me feel something that I don't even have words for. I would gladly follow you into Hell itself and no matter what, somehow you always found me. I will always have your back, always be yours, and I will always love you." Kelly slipped the ring on his finger.

The two met in a long and passionate kiss before Kelly broke away to catch her breath. She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around her. "You know I have one question."

John wrapped his own arms around her and lay back down on the bed. "And what would that be?"

"What's our last name?" John looked at Kelly surprised by the question. He opened his mouth to reply but stopped and shut his mouth. He shrugged and Kelly laughed, letting herself melt against him. "We'll figure that out tomorrow. For now, I'm happy to be Mrs. John."

John held her tight against him, feeling her snuggle closer. He heard her breath slow as she fell asleep. He was fully content, more content then he'd ever been before. He was alive, humanity was safe, and Kelly was his. He Almost wondered if this all really just a dream. He didn't care, he was happy, and he was going to stay that way. John slowly closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep in the warmth of his wife.

Note: Wow, you guys really wanted this. 14 reviews for one chapter. Think I found the secret to getting reviews. Still taking requests for pairings that people want to see, or you can just tell me you want to see more of a pairing I've already written.


	44. Next Step

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Next Step**

* * *

John rested his cheek against the warm flesh, listening carefully for any signs of life. He heard the normal gurgles and sound of her breathing but nothing really out of the ordinary. He could be patient, sure that eventually he would hear something.

"You know I told you I only wanted one child." John looked up at Kelly as she spoke, still keeping one ear against her stomach. "But here you cheated."

John grinned up at her. "It's not cheating. I mean, I didn't just decide twins. It just happened." He ran her hand over her stomach and smiled as he felt a force kick out at his hand. "They sure are energetic."

"Sure, that's good for you. You don't have them kicking against your bladder every couple minutes." Kelly huffed as she shifted, trying to make herself comfortable. It wasn't that easy with two children growing inside of her and a husband who was pressed up as much as he could against her stomach. "They are actually being rather inactive today."

John frowned at this news. He had been hoping to feel them kicking but he supposed it was for the better. He shifted on the couch so that he could lie down. His cheek rested against her stomach and he continued to run one of his hands over her rounded belly. "Are you sure that you don't want to know the genders?"

Kelly ran her hand over his short hair as she nodded. "I am sure. We have to have some sort of surprise in the future." She frowned. "Though we need to come up with second names for each gender." John groaned and she chuckled at his reluctance. He didn't want to try to come up with more names. "Oh come on, I think I have a good one for both."

John sighed and turned his attention to his wife. "Well, I did pick out the main ones for each gender." He sat up so he could give her his full attention, moving to sit beside her.

Kelly leaned against him, his arms wrapping around her. "If it's two boys then I think the second should be named Jacob. In honor of a very brave Captain who gave his life in the war."

John held her a bit tighter at the memory of the fallen Captain, of breaking into the flood to remove the neural implants. "He was a brave man, and our child would be properly honoring him to be named after him. Now what about if they are both girls?"

"If they are both girls I'd like to name the second Holly." John looked at Kelly, surprised. He didn't know where she'd gotten the name. "Back on Onyx when we were being attacked by the hunters, they fired and they would have killed me. They would have if Holly hadn't moved in the way. She gave her life for mine and I think it would be a good idea to name a child in her honor."

John didn't say anything right away. Kelly had never told him about that happening. She'd really only mentioned that Will and Kurt had died, never told him how. "I think that would be good." He rested his chin on her shoulder. "We're really lucky to have made it through the war."

Kelly chuckled and moved her hand up to wrap around his head and pull him closer. "You're the lucky one, not me. Though maybe I am lucky because you made it through."

"Maybe a little of my luck rubbed off on you. I always was lucky. Though I think I ran out of it when you agreed to marry me." John grinned and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

"That had nothing to do with luck." Kelly closed her eyes and leaned back into him more as she let herself relax in his arms.

John hesitated before bringing up the subject that they had been debating for months. "You know we still have to decide on a last name." Kelly groaned and John chuckled. "Oh, at least we cut it down to just two."

"Maybe we should just come up with our own. Like, some word in a different language that means something rather than taking someone else's name." Kelly snuggled up into him.

John thought about that for a few minutes. He was going to make suggestions when he looked down at Kelly. She'd drifted off, though he hadn't noticed. He smiled softly and let his own eyes drift shut, enjoying the serenity and peace in the atmosphere. They'd choose a last name later. For now he was just glad to have names, his wife, and two healthy children on the way.


	45. Nicknames

**Pairings: Thom/Kat, Carter/Kat**

**Title: Nicknames**

* * *

Kat stared down at the data on the screen before her. She was completely engrossed in it and didn't notice the man come up behind her. "Hey there, Kitten." Kat rounded on him and glared up at Thom. "Oh come on, why can't I call you that? I heard Carter call you it."

"That's his nickname for me. You don't get to use it." Kat crossed her arms and continued to glare.

Thom's shoulders slumped and he sat down in the seat beside her. "Fine, I won't call you Kitten." He looked away for a moment and Kat returned to her work. "How about call you Kitty?"

"No." Kat glanced over at him. "Why don't you do something more productive? Work on your aim, or maybe study some strategy?"

"Aw, you trying to tell me I'm not perfect?" Thom slumped a bit, becoming completely relaxed. "You know, why don't we have nicknames? I mean, don't most teams have nicknames?"

"Because we are serious soldiers. We don't have time for nicknames." Kat didn't look away from the screen.

"I think it would be a good team building exercise. Let's take Jorge for Example. What would you nickname him?" Thom grinned at Kat, trying to get her to play along with him.

"I usually just call him Five." Kat leaned back in her own seat while she waited for the next set of files to load. "Why do you care if we have nicknames?"

"Five isn't all that creative." Thom frowned at her question and looked toward the wall before him. "Guess it just seems unfair that only you and Carter get to call each other nicknames. I think we should all have them."

"I don't have a nickname for Carter." Kat turned her full attention to the Noble Six. Thom raised an eyebrow and Kat sighed. "Fine, go ahead and nickname people. Don't be surprised if people don't like it."

Thom bit his lip as he started to think. "I'd have to say that Jorge should be something about how big he is. Something big, like Everest. Yeah, I like the sound of that." Thom grinned. He stopped when he noticed that Kat wasn't smiling. "What?"

"That's such an obvious nickname. If you really want it to be special, make it about something that you don't know just by looking at him." Thom motioned for her to continue and Kat thought for a moment. "Something like Teddy, because he's like a Teddy-bear."

"Oh, see, you are good at this. That is a good name. So what would you call Emile?" Thom was now leaning toward her, almost enough so that their shoulder's touched. He was pushing it, but Kat let him be for now.

"I guess something that properly conveys the way he acts. The way he is violent and loves to kill. Better yet, Mars. The god of war. Someone who war is all they are." Kat smiled slightly. She was enjoying herself. "All right, I'll admit that this is sort of fun."

"See, I knew it would be, and you are a natural. Come on, don't stop now. What would you call Jun?" Thom was obviously enjoying this. He'd leaned over enough so that now part of his weight was against her.

"Now there's a tough one. Name him based on his sniping, or on how detached he is, or maybe on how he likes to talk." Kat tapped her chin in thought. "How about Hawk. They have good eyesight, they look very aloof and cold, and when they make noise it can be annoying."

Thom laughed out loud at this. He apparently found the idea really funny, either that or he was being nice. "So then, what about the big bad Commander? Oh wait, I just remembered you already have a nickname for him. Care to tell me what it is?"

Kat smirked and crossed her arms. "Sorry, but that's classified information. Keep in mind, he is your boss. You don't nickname your boss."

"Then why did you get to nickname him?" At that Kat pushed him off of her and he looked hurt by the action. "Come on Kat, I'm just messing with you. Besides, boss is enough of a nickname. Though there is one more member of the team that you haven't nicknamed."

Kat raised an eyebrow. "And who is that." Thom pointed to himself and she frowned trying to think of a name. "How about Cowboy. Cause you act like one of the old wild west cowboys. Just as lewd sometimes."

"Cowboy, I like it. Though now it is your turn." Kat frowned at this but Thom ignored it. "So you're against any variation of Kat, so I'll have to be creative." He seemed to think hard about it. "Maybe something about how brilliant you are, or how easy you are to get along with…Or I could just call you Sexy."

"That seems highly inappropriate." Kat couldn't help the blush that crept onto her face. She couldn't remember the last time anyone called her sexy, if ever.

"You said people might not like them." Thom stood up and grinned. "I'm not hearing a no."

Kat was just about to shoot him down, demand that he not call her that, but she was cut off as Carter entered the room. "Noble, we have a mission, suit up."

Thom nodded. "Sure thing, boss." He turned back to Kat for just a second and winked. "See you later, Sexy." He quickly moved out of the room, leaving Noble One and Two alone.

"What did he just call you?" Carter's voice was tinted with a bit of anger. He obviously didn't like hearing Thom call her that. "What were you two doing?"

"Thom was nicknaming everyone. Sexy is his nickname for me." Kat let the smile spread over her face. She was so often mistaken for a male soldier in the field that it felt nice to know that someone saw that she wasn't.

"What did he nickname me?" Carter moved over to stand beside her.

Kat stood and grinned at him. "I wouldn't let him nickname you. Though apparently he heard me calling you by a nickname." She leaned a bit toward him. "I didn't tell him what I called you, though he knows what you call me. Heard you call me Kitten."

Carter snorted. "Well, that's the best of the names I call you for him to hear. Which name did he hear? You have about five nicknames you call me by…most of them acceptable."

"What, you have an issue with one of them?" Kat pursed her lips and thought. "Can't be Lancelot, that's not a bad one. Can't be for calling you Pup. You agreed to that one. You might have an issue with Adonis, but I haven't called you that in weeks, unless that's what you are upset about."

"Kat would you stop trying to guess. It's not any of those. We need to stay focused, we have a mission." Carter shook his head and turned to leave.

Kat let her gaze fall slightly and she grinned. "Oh, you don't like the new one, Iron Buns." She was surprised that a second later there was a hand over her mouth. She grinned at the nervous Commander as he looked around.

"Kat, I told you to stop calling me that. And do you have to say it so loud?" Carter was trying but failing to hide how nervous the nickname made him.

Kat pulled his hand from her mouth. "Oh, it's not that bad. Besides, I've heard the women on board call you worse." She moved around him before he could stop her and started to head out of the room. She stopped for a moment eyeing him. "Though if you like I can go back to calling you by the last nickname. The one you threatened to court martial me for."

Carter couldn't stop the blush that was creeping up. "Don't you dare." He was threatening her but Kat simply smiled and waved before leaving the room. Carter let out a groan before he followed after her.


	46. Empty

**Pair: Carter/Kat  
**

**Title: Empty**

**Note: This was done in first person, so it was kind of weird for me but I hope that you like it.  
**

* * *

The city around us was burning, breaking into bits and pieces. I'd seen a planet be glassed before, and right now he was just hoping my team wouldn't be burned with it. I pulled ahead of my soldiers as I crossed the open space, not daring to look up and see the burning buildings above. I was only half aware of the information that was coming out of my mouth. Simply repeating the information that I'd gotten from the Colonel only moments before, before hell had broken out. I was aware it was something about how the Covenant was looking for something.

I slowed to a stop as I reached the bunker, turning back to be sure that my team had made it. Jun was already in and Emile was right behind us. I looked past him, focused on my Two. She was questioning our orders, as she always did. It always seemed that she questioned the orders of people of a higher rank then her, besides me. She seemed to think that every order had some hidden meaning behind it. Maybe it came from being elbow-deep in tech all the time. Most people took a computer at face value but under that sleek outer casing she was aware of the twisting wires and maze of circuits. She seemed to think that just like computers, orders were only sleek on the outside, but there was a mess of other reasons behind them.

I watched as they ran toward us, my Two and the surprisingly useful new Six. They were just crossing the open space when it happened. The first thing that registered was that everything was silent. Her voice was gone and the air felt empty, as though everything was afraid to make a sound and erase the echo that still rang in my ear of her voice. The second thing was that she was falling. It hit me with full force and my mind went blank. The image of the streak of pink, her head down and then shooting back up, and the glimpse of the hole in her visor. My throat grew tight and I found it hard to breathe as my mind struggled to pull itself back to the present.

I saw Six grab her pistol, and something in me felt sick at the sight as Six shot into the sky. She was partially holding Two up and as the brilliant light spilled in above them at one moment I thought it was the most beautiful and most heartbreaking sight I'd ever seen. I wanted to run to her, snatch her from Six's arms and hold her close, for whatever good it would do, but I didn't. The part of me that was soldier won out.

Emile and Jun moved first, and it pulled me back to the fact that we still had to protect Six. As soon as I caught sight of the phantom I opened fire, knowing that the most my battle rifle could do was spray bullets from this range and keep the enemies back. I only caught a glimpse of the enemy, the one who had taken her with one shot. From the distance I couldn't tell the color, but I could see the familiar horns on the elite's helmets. Memories of the Field Marshall dropping down, charging toward us, and me taking Two down, shielding her with my body, flashed through my mind. The elite slipped back and I finally lowered my weapon. No good wasting my ammunition now. The phantom eased out of sight and I turned my attention to the Beta Spartans.

Six had exhausted the clip in Two's pistol and had tossed it aside. She'd looped her hands under the fallen Spartan's armpits and was pulling her toward us. I was slightly aware that Jun was still firing. I urged them to get in, but I wasn't really aware of what was going on. The part of me that was a leader was speaking, still giving orders, while the rest of me was numb. I watched Six pull her toward me and as they reached us I started to step back. I moved into the shelter far enough in that Six could get in with the body and I couldn't keep it up any more. My fighting instinct disappeared and I lost my energy. My arms fell loosely to my sides, battle rifle still held loosely in my right hand.

The door sealed shut and we were lost in the darkness. I switched on my night vision and looked around at my team. Emile and Jun had taken a step away from her body, but Six still was holding her body. She looked back at me and for a moment I didn't know what to do. My mind wanted to look to Two, find out what she thought we should do, but she was gone. I finally pulled myself together enough to move over and help Six lift up the body. We moved her over to the side and I knelt beside my fallen second-in-command. I glanced back and saw that the rest of my team had moved to the other side of the room. Emile leaned against the wall, Jun sat on a crate, and Six slid down to sit on the floor.

I moved to sit beside Two's body. I didn't know what to do, and I couldn't even think straight. We had to just hope that we were in a strong enough bunker that we wouldn't be destroyed along with the city. I had been through hard and long fights in the past, but I'd never felt this tired. I looked over toward the body beside me and stared at the hole in her visor. I felt my stomach turn and I felt like I was going to vomit but pushed the feeling aside. I wanted to openly hold her body, let myself cry in my pain, but I couldn't. Spartans aren't supposed to show emotion, and such a thing as grief would not be acceptable.

I felt so empty with her gone, and I had never expected it to feel this bad. I knew that at some point one of us would die. I should have expected that it would be her. She always took such risks, her mind sometimes working so far ahead of her body that she missed things in her current situation. I'd had her at my side since the start, and the universe felt wrong without her there. We'd grown so close, and despite all the trouble that she would cause for me her spunky personality and sharp mind had won my heart. For once I was glad that we'd lost contact with Dot. I could hear my own heart pounding in my ear and my breathing was irregular as I tried to control myself.

She had been my heart; I'd trusted her with keeping me grounded and keeping me human. What was I going to do without her? I hung my head and slowly moved my hand, moving over run my hand over the side of her light blue helmet. I struggled to keep myself under control and not break down. I swallowed hard, pushing down the lump in my throat. I croaked out four simple words which meant the world to me, and they had to her. "I love you, Kat."


	47. Poker

**Pair: Emile/Jorge  
**

**Title: Poker**

* * *

Emile sat on his cot staring at Jorge. He glanced down to the cards that the Spartan II was still shuffling. He was getting tired of waiting on the other man to deal the cards. He wasn't sure why he agreed to this. Jorge was supposed to be a great poker player, and Emile hadn't played it in years. They looked silly, Jorge sitting in just a simple pair of shorts and white muscle shirt while Emile was in his full armor, as always.

"All right, we are agreed on the stakes?" Jorge finally finished and turned his attention to the Spartan III. "Whoever wins has the right to ask one question that the loser has to answer."

"Yeah, we're in agreement." Emile leaned forward toward the small table they'd put between their cots. "Just deal the damn cards."

Jorge dealt the cards and the two picked them up. "So have you ever played poker before?" Emile didn't answer, just stared at the cards. "Just want to know if I need to explain the rules."

"It's been a while but I remember how to play." Emile swapped out cards and sat, trying to tell if Jorge looked like he had a good hand or not. Emile couldn't tell anything. Jorge's face was stone cold, as though he had no emotion at all. Emile wished he'd be like that more often. Maybe then he would feel more easy around the larger Spartan.

Jorge placed his cards down and Emile looked them over. "Pair of queens." Emile tossed his own cards down revealing that he only had a king high. Jorge thought for a moment, trying to choose his question carefully. "What was your old partner's name?"

Emile just glared across the table at Jorge. He should have known that it was what the other man would ask about. "Karri. Now deal." He crossed his arms and waited. He'd have to win some hands or Jorge would start asking questions Emile didn't want to answer. He wondered if maybe he'd be able to give half answers, avoid telling him everything, but something told Emile that Jorge would know if he wasn't saying everything.

Jorge gathered up the cards and started to shuffle. "Karri is a very nice name." He seemed uncomfortable with the information. To Emile it looked like he regretted it, regretted having a name to put to the imaginary figure that had once stood at Emile's side. He quickly dealt out the cards again, keeping his mouth shut.

Emile picked up his cards. He was a bit glad to see Jorge's discomfort. It would likely throw him a bit off his game, but more importantly it might mean that Jorge will back off of questions about Karri. He really should have seen it from the start. Jorge was always trying to find ways to get information about the fallen Spartan out of Emile. He should have known what was going on the moment that Jorge had said they would bet with information.

Jorge placed his cards down and Emile put down his own. Jorge had a pair of fours with a six high. Emile smirked, placing down his pair of sevens with a jack high. "Looks like I win, big man." He thought for a moment, trying to decide on what to ask Jorge. "Did you have a team before Noble Team?"

Jorge looked down and Emile saw a very unfamiliar emotion cross the man's face. It was an emotion that resonated with Emile, one of loss. "I did, I used to be a part of Gold Team. I had good friends in that team." Jorge quickly gathered up the cards and started to shuffle. He didn't look up, just stared at the cards until he dealt them out.

For the first time in a long time Emile felt awkward around Jorge. He hadn't felt this way since the first time that Jorge had seen him without his helmet on. The hand went by without either of them making a comment. Surprisingly Emile won again, and he asked the question that was at the front of his mind at the moment. "What happened to Gold Team?"

Jorge gathered up the cards again and shuffled for a few seconds before he replied. "Their pelican was shot down. We were evacing civilians. The rest of my team had gotten on the pelican, I was on a separate pelican, no room for me with my team. We began to rise up and got about a hundred meters into the air when their pelican got hit, wraith tank." Jorge's gaze became distant and Emile heard what he could only identify as pain in the other man's voice. "The pelican hit the ground and it erupted in a ball of flames. Watched it all from the back of my pelican. Wanted to go back, see if anyone was alive, but the pilot had orders. We got the civilians back to the ship and we left system."

Jorge dealt the cards and Emile felt like he should say something, anything to try to ease the Spartan II's mind. He had no idea what that might be, so he remained silent, just picking up the cards when they were dealt to him. He was almost relieved when he lost the hand. He didn't know what to ask Jorge, and he was a bit hesitant knowing it might cause him more pain. Emile frowned to himself, he shouldn't care, he should be willing to ask whatever he wanted to. Why did he care what Jorge felt like?

Emile sat and waited for Jorge's question, preparing for whatever it might be. "What happened to Karri?"

He should have expected the question. Emile crossed his arms as he thought back to the events. "We were attacking this…I don't even know what it was anymore. Some sort of Covenant camp or facility. I was distracting the enemies outside while she set charges on the generators. She met hostiles, met our first hunter. Karri came running out to me and after a quick fight I took out the elites." Emile's head lowered a bit in shame. "I forgot about the hunters. They fired, she pushed me out of the way, half of her got fried. She forced me to leave. Ordered me to leave and I did what she told me. Got out of the blast radius and detonated the charges. She saved my life, but lost hers." His words were flat and cold as he said them, trying to hide the old human emotions that he had buried down under hundreds of Covenant bodies.

Jorge didn't say anything to that. He gathered the cards and shuffled. Emile could feel the unease in the air. They were both digging for information on painful subjects, and as much as it hurt to admit some things, to retell the past, it hurt them both a bit to be bringing up that pain for each other. Jorge set down his hand and Emile tossed his down. He didn't even have a pair while Jorge had a pair of twos. "You said that she was the reason why you carved your helmet. What did you mean?"

Emile sighed and stood up. Jorge muttered something about the question not being too personal but the violent Spartan ignored him. He moved to his foot locker and opened it, digging down to the bottom of the locker. He pulled out an old worn SPI helmet and he held it up so that Jorge could see the carved demon on the faceplate. "That's what I meant."

Jorge looked at it, he reached out to touch it but Emile pulled it back protectively. "Well, now I know where you got the idea. But that doesn't look the same."

Emile put the helmet back away, safely storing it away where he knew it would be safe. "It's not. She carved a demon, I carved a skull." He sat back down on his cot and motioned to Jorge. "Deal 'em."

Jorge dealt the cards and glanced up at Emile. "I think I like the skull more. It suits you." He reached out and Emile didn't stop him from running his hand over the carved helmet. Jorge withdrew his hand and turned his attention to his cards, fully focused once more on the game.

Emile won the hand and he was having a bit of trouble deciding what to ask. He knew what he wanted to ask but he didn't want to ask it at the same time. He glanced around, being sure that they were alone before he finally asked his question. "Did you have a bond with anyone in Gold Team like you do with me?"

Jorge smiled slightly and he grabbed up the cards. "No, I've never had a bond with someone like I have with you. Gold Team were my friends, and family, but you're more to me than that." Jorge started to shuffle again.

Emile felt guilty as he sat waiting for the next hand. He'd had no idea that he was the first Jorge had had that sort of bond with. Though a part of him was glad that he didn't know the same pain that came with loosing such a bond. He hoped that Jorge never would feel that sort of pain. The man was nice and kind all the time. A part of him didn't want him to be exposed to that sort of pain. If Emile could, he'd stand in the way, block the Spartan II from having to feel anything like that.

Emile hadn't even been paying attention before Jorge lay down his cards to reveal a royal flush. Emile stared at it and just waited, wondering what he would ask. Finally Jorge spoke. "Why does Karri's death mean you can't love anyone?"

Emile flinched at the question. He knew it would eventually come to that, but he was hoping it would be longer. The assault specialist chose his words carefully before he spoke. "Karri was half who I am. We were trained to be soldiers, killing machines, but having a partner kept us human. She was the part of me that was human. She died and took the human with her. Monsters don't love."

Jorge shook his head and gathered up the cards. "I know that that's not fully true."

He was about to deal new hands when Kat entered the room. "Jorge, get suited up." She glanced over at Emile and shook her head. "Both of you meet in the hanger in fifteen."

"Should give you just enough time to play a little grab-ass with your boyfriend." Emile stood up and moved to his foot locker to get out his set of knives.

"You're just mad because I got in the way of you playing it with yours." Kat smirked and turned, walking out of the room.

"Didn't deny it." Emile watched as she left and turned back to Jorge who was moving the table to the side and put away the cards. "I'll meet you down in the hanger." Jorge simply nodded, the two of them slipping into their combat mode.


	48. Labor

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Labor**

John sat in the waiting room, not at all happy. This wasn't where he wanted to be at the moment but he had been kicked out of where he wanted to be. All he could do now was sit here and wait. He leaned back in his seat, fighting to stay awake. It was so boring out here, just him alone waiting for any sort of news.

"Any new information?" Fred moved into the room and John shook his head. "Still can't believe they kicked you out." He sat down beside his friend and smiled slightly. "Why did they kick you out?"

John crossed his arms over his chest. "They said I was in the way, and Doctor Halsey said I was a distraction because I was worried." His gaze turned toward the ground. "Guess I was more worried than she was."

Fred started to grin. "Well, I don't think I'd be able to be calm if my wife was popping out two kids and I couldn't do anything." He leaned back in his seat. The two fell into silence, just listening to the quiet of the waiting room.

It was another hour before a medic finally came out. "Master Chief?" John stood and moved toward him, Fred right behind him. "Sir, everything went fine. Right now the children are being taken to the infant ward, you're free to visit to see them if you so wish. For now Spartan -087 is resting. It's best if you leave her to do so for a while. If you would like I can have you alerted when she wakes."

John nodded. "Please do." The medic left and John turned to Fred. "Care to join me?"

Fred placed an arm around his friend's shoulder. "You bet I do. Congratulations on being a dad." The two Spartans made their way through the medical wing.

The viewing area was quieter than John had expected. There were several infants in the room of identical cribs, newborn infants sitting in them quietly, well mostly quietly. He knew the two that were his the moment they saw them. They both were wrapped in light blue blankets, one lying quietly while the other was crying. John stared, finding it a bit hard to breathe at the moment. These were his children, his and Kelly's. Two little boys, Samuel and Jacob. He felt a great sense of pride fill him as he watched the two children.

He didn't really hear the words as a nurse came and invited them in. John followed her in and he was aware that Fred was close behind. He watched the nurse move over and pick up the crying child and she held him out to him. "This is Samuel."

John took the child carefully in his arms. The newborn's hands grabbed his shirt as tightly as the little digits could. The infant calmed down a bit and stopped crying. John smiled down at his son. It was hard to believe that he actually had a son, not one but two. Not exactly what his dream had been, but it was his, and he wouldn't trade all he had for anything.

"And this is Jacob." The nurse held out the other infant and John took him in his other arm. John held the two children in his arms, grinning.

"You seem to do fine in the position of a father." Fred placed a hand on John's shoulder. "They're adorable. Better be careful as they are growing up. Combination of you and Kelly could be dangerous."

John was only half listening to this friend. He was too caught up in the children in his arms. His sons. He was reluctant to give them up, but he was only convinced to do so when the medic located them to inform him that Kelly had woken.

John left the natal ward and Fred behind, letting the medic lead him through the halls to a room. He entered the room. Kelly sat up a bit and he moved to her side, leaning down to take one of her hands. He let his forehead rest against hers, ignoring the sweat that he could feel coating her face.

"Have you seen them?" Kelly brought her free hand up, letting it rest on John's neck. John nodded his head and Kelly smiled. "Tell me about them?"

"Sam…He's a spirited one. Was crying like crazy when I saw him." John moved to sit down on the side of the bed, shifting Kelly so she was leaning against his shoulder. "I got to hold him and he calmed down. Grabbed my shirt and held on tight." He watched a soft smile spread over Kelly's face. "Jacob is as quiet as can be. Didn't make a noise, just was happy as could be to just be held."

"So two boys then?" Kelly squeezed his hand lightly. John nodded and placed a kiss on her head. "Darn, I was hoping for a girl."

John chuckled and held her a bit closer. "Well, you and I could try again. Try to get ourselves a little girl this time."

"Looks like we'll have to." John was surprised by Kelly's words. She almost sounded like she meant it, though he supposed she was just tired and didn't have the energy to put on a humorous tone. "Though that will have to wait. For now I want to get some sleep."

John felt her snuggle more into his chest as her eyes closed. He leaned back against the head of the bed, letting his wife use him as one big body pillow. He ran a hand over her short and slightly messed up hair. "I'm proud of you, Bunny. You've given me everything I could ever ask for."


	49. On High

**Pairing: One-sided Jun/Kat**

**Title: On High**

He watched her move through his scope. She wasn't exactly where she was supposed to be. Carter had ordered her to move through the building on the west side. She had gone on top. He thought of informing Carter of this, but decided it was more fun to let it be a surprise.

"Not afraid of snipers?" Jun's voice was playful over the private channel he opened with her.

"Why would I be? I've got a better sniper watching me." Jun grinned at her reply. "Do you see anything I should be worried about?"

"Well, I'd be a bit worried about the Commander when he finds out you aren't exactly following orders." Jun snickered slightly. Watching the Commander scolding her was usually amusing.

"Oh, he can boil his head. This is better." She crouched down, preparing to strike. Emile was crouched beside her, ready for the fight.

Jun watched in anticipation. Maybe it was because he wasn't usually close to the havoc that her plans created, but he loved them. They were creative and made a fight more fun to watch. Usually it was all out of Jun's view but her plans were often big enough a building couldn't hold them.

There was gunfire from the east, the other half of Noble Team. There were shouts from inside the building below the waiting pair and half a dozen rebels ran out. That was when they pounced. The rebels were focused as they fired on the Spartans to the west and didn't see the attack coming.

Emile landed like a bull, shotgun blazing. She landed more like a large cat, graceful and powerful. She fired expertly, each shot of her pistol taking down a rebel. In a matter of seconds they were clear.

"I have to say, Kat, that was beautiful." The entire time he hadn't take his scope off of her. There was something wonderful in watching her work. It warmed Jun's heart to see such beauty in combat.

"Don't think he agreed." Kat cut of her channel as Carter moved over to her. Jun had to guess as to what was going on as he could not hear their conversation. Carter's posture was stiff as he spoke. Kat replied, her posture as relaxed as ever. Carter relaxed, though he shifted a bit, uncomfortable. Kat leaned toward the Commander as she replied. She had that sort of tilt to her body that he only saw when the two of them were flirting.

Jun wanted to look away but he didn't. He didn't like being reminded that Kat was Carter's partner, in several ways. He didn't look away, though, not wanting to miss as she walked away. After she would flirt with Carter she always had a bit of extra sway to her walk, knowing that he was watching her.

Jun finally lowered his rifle. He needed to change positions so he would be able to continue to cover his team. As he moved along, searching for a new perch his mind traveled to the Lieutenant Commander. He was painfully aware that with the bond with Carter, she would never have such a bond with him. He'd have to be happy with watching her from up high. Only a voice in her ear most of the time. Though he'd keep talking, keep reminding her that he was there, that he was watching her back.


	50. Father's Day

**Pairing: John/Kelly  
**

**Title: Father's Day**

* * *

John lay on the couch, smiling down at the two-year-old boy lying on his chest. It amazed him how one second Samuel could have so much energy and the next he was out like a light. Just a few minutes ago the child had been running around the house with his brother. Now Sam was curled up on John's chest while Jacob was lying on the floor.

"You tired them out?" John looked up and smiled at Kelly as she leaned over him. "The two of them should probably take a nap anyway." John watched as she moved over to Jacob, carefully picking him up. "Grab Sammy and we can put them to bed."

John shifted, holding his son against his chest so he didn't disturb him. Sam shifted in John's arms to be more comfortable. John followed Kelly as she moved up to the second floor of their house. It was still odd to him that they lived on their own. He'd lived with the other Spartans for so long that he had never thought it would be any different. Here he was though, just him, Kelly, and their two children in a house of their own. He smiled as he remembered the dream. The house was a lot like the one from his dream, though it was on Earth not Reach, not to mention he had two sons rather than a son and daughter.

Kelly led the way down the hallway to the room that the two children shared. John placed Sam down on the bed with eagles on the sheets. Sam only woke enough to grab the plushy Arbiter and fall back to sleep. John smiled down at his son, running a hand over the child's hair gently. He leaned down, placing a light kiss on Sam's forehead before he stood back up.

Kelly's arms wrapped around his as she leaned against him. They moved out of the room, leaving their children to nap. Kelly let her cheek rest against his shoulder. "We made some wonderful children."

"You did most of the work. I just gave you a few of the building blocks for them." John stopped and pulled her against his chest. "You're the artist that used those blocks to make two perfect sons for me." He leaned down, resting his forehead against Kelly's.

"So did you enjoy your day with the boys? I know right now they don't really know about Father's Day but I hope they behaved for you." Kelly closed her eyes as she enjoyed his company. "You've turned out to be a better father then I thought you would."

John moved a bit away from her. "What do you mean by that? You didn't think I was cut out to be a father?" He was genuinely hurt by the comment. He'd always thought he'd make a good father.

"Don't take it the wrong way, dear. You were always just more of a squad leader, not a father. You need to be more gentle with children and I'll admit I was a bit afraid you'd have trouble with gentle." Kelly wrapped her arms around John's neck. "Though you definitely proved me wrong."

John smirked as he pulled her closer. "As I remember correctly, I'm the one that wanted kids. You didn't really want any."

"I didn't think about having them," Kelly corrected. "It was something that I never really thought we'd be able to do. Though really there are a lot of things I thought we'd never get to do that we've done." John smirked a bit more. "Though you had it easy this year."

"Easy? Two two-year-olds, who you gave sugar with lunch. That was not easy." John frowned at her. "How can next year be any worse?"

"First of all, they will be even more all over the place. Second, I'd like to see how you handle two three-year-olds, and a three month old. Though I suppose that I could take care of the little one."

John raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you trying to tell me what I think you are trying to tell me?" Kelly nodded and a smile spread over John's face. "I thought you were just kidding when you said you were willing to try again for a girl."

"Well, we weren't exactly trying. We just weren't trying not to have another." Kelly hit John in the shoulder. "I should blame you for this."

"Why? You finally have your shot at a girl. What's there to complain about?" John grinned. "Besides, it takes two to make a baby."

"You don't have to carry it around for ten months in inside of you and deal with all the other things that come with it." Kelly frowned at him.

John kissed her forehead. "I can't argue against that." He pulled her closer and she rested her head against his chest. "Definitely the best Father's Day yet."

"It's not over yet." Kelly smirked and took a step back from him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down the hallway.


	51. What Could Have Been

**Pairing: Sort of Fred/Kelly but at heart it's John/Kelly.  
**

**Title: What could have been**

* * *

Fred relaxed on the hanging bench, swinging lightly in the warm summer breeze. He watched as the children ran about the yard happily. He envied them. They didn't have a worry in the world, just running about playing keep away. The older two boys, now nine, were even moving slowly enough that the spunky six-year-old girl could keep up with them. Fred smiled slightly but it slowly faded as he watched them. They all had brown hair, making it obvious that they were all related, but Fred couldn't deny the resemblance that the oldest and youngest boy shared with their father.

"What are you so upset about?" Kelly sat down beside Fred. He glanced over at her before looking back at the kids. "You're watching children play and you're frowning. What's wrong?"

Fred didn't answer right away. He just watched them for a moment. "Avery looks so much like his father." He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Yeah, he's definitely John's son. Still a bit mad at him for tricking me into four. Though, that's honestly twice as many as John wanted." Kelly leaned back. The bench swayed from the hooks it was hanging from on the porch. "Why does that bother you?"

"Catherine, though, she looks just like you. Just like back when I first met you when we started training." Fred closed his eyes, no longer able to watch.

"Fred, stop dodging the question. What's wrong?" Kelly placed a hand on his forearm and he opened his eyes to look down at it. "You're worrying me."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to. I've just been thinking." Fred reached over and placed a hand on Kelly's. She looked hesitant. "I've been thinking, all of this could have been mine. A loving family, a beautiful wife, all of it, but I made a mistake, and lost it all."

Kelly sighed and pulled her hand away. "Why are you thinking like that, Fred? You're only going to cause yourself pain. It's been a long time, and you need to get over it."

Fred shook his head. "I know that, it's just…I mean, I see all of this and I can't help but wonder. What if we hadn't broken up? Would we have this? Would we be happy with beautiful children?" Fred turned his gaze to lock with Kelly's. "Do you think we would have had all of this?"

Kelly slowly shook her head and Fred felt his heart break a bit. She didn't think that they would have been happy together. "Fred, we need to stop kidding ourselves about what we were. You and I both, we loved someone else, and when we were together we were settling for the second place person in our hearts."

Fred shook his head. "I loved you, Kelly. I really did. You were the top person in my heart."

"I was the top _living_ person in your heart." Fred looked away at her words. He knew that they were true. There was only one person he'd loved more than Kelly, but she was dead, had been for a long time. "But I know that you did love me, and that was why you did it." That brought his gaze back to her. He was confused and it was all over his face. "You knew that I still loved John the most. You made the choice to break us up because you knew that I would go to him, because you wanted me to be happy." Fred didn't say anything, he couldn't say anything. "Even if you didn't know it, I know that is why you did it." Her hands came up to cup his face. "You really did love me, and I didn't deserve you. You gave me to John so I would be happy, so that all of this could be, and I love you for that, Fred. For giving me to this future." Fred's hand moved up to cover hers. "I'm sorry, that I can't give you the same."

Fred slowly closed his eyes. "I miss her." He took in a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm, but he was finding it hard. She had been right. He had given her up, known that she would go to John, and she was happy. He felt guilt over wishing to change things, take her back, take her from this joy and her loving family. He had no right to even think of such things. "I'm sorry, Kelly. You are where you belong."

Kelly looked out toward the children. "So what brings up you thinking about this?" He frowned at that question. "This isn't something that you just start randomly thinking about this. So what made you start to think about it?"

Fred shrugged slightly. "It's a lot of things, really. I mean, I have a lot of time to think these days. My mind has been thinking about it, and I've been thinking about the past." Fred sighed as Kelly continued to stare at him. "Fine, I had a dream. There were kids, my kids, and they were happy, and I was happy." Fred crossed his arms over his chest.

Kelly leaned over so her shoulder was resting against Fred's. "Did any of those kids even look like me?"

Fred shook his head slowly. "And only one of them looked like me, but you were their mother." He let out a long breath and ran a hand through his hair. He'd let it grow out just a bit over regulation. "That's the problem I'm having with peace. I have so much time to reflect on what I've lost, and what could have been. I guess I'm really just lonely. I don't have anyone to share these days with."

Kelly was silent for a moment before she made a suggestion. "What about Linda? She doesn't have anyone these days."

"First, like I told you I had a thing with her a long time ago, but she let me go. She treated it like it was just for the physical, which I'm not a fan of. Second, and I don't see how you don't already know this, but she's got a thing with Mark." Kelly stared at him. Fred grinned and chuckled. "You really didn't realize?"

Kelly scowled and crossed her arms. "Sorry for being too busy having children and trying to raise them to notice that Linda was spending time with Mark." Kelly's gaze looked out toward the playing children. "You still have people to share your day with. The kids look to you as one of their favorite uncles."

"Wait, what do you mean one of their favorite? I'm not their favorite?" Fred looked hurt by the news. He had thought the kids had always enjoyed the time that they spent with him.

"Well their other favorite is their uncle Arby." Kelly looked visibly annoyed. "Every time John sneaks them out to spend a day with the Arbiter he always takes them to do something military. Firing range, hand-to-hand combat, takes them in a ride on a ghost or revenant or something."

Fred tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why do you have a problem with that? They are Spartan children, they are going to like that sort of thing. They are the children of two of the greatest warriors in human history, surrounded by family that is all military."

"But they are so young." Kelly's tone made it obvious that she had argued this before, probably with John as he had apparently been sneaking them off to take part in these activities.

"We were just the same age as Avery and Catherine when we started to train," Fred pointed out.

"Oh, now you sound like John. I don't want them to grow up with being a soldier being their only option. We only had the path of a soldier before us, but they have a chance to do whatever. I don't want them thinking that being a soldier is the only choice."

"Then just make sure that they are exposed to other things. Take them to see Halsey's lab, show them some cool experiments or something. If they decide military then they decide it but you also make sure that they know there are other paths." Fred put an arm over her shoulder. "Though with the parents they have, even without exposure to it, they'll likely become soldiers."

Kelly groaned. "I'm not going to win this fight, am I? Both you and John think that it's all right. Though I do like that idea, and I might just use it."

"Well it does take a village to raise a child. Maybe it takes an entire base to raise four Spartan children." Kelly shook her head and Fred frowned. "What?"

"That was just sort of cheesy. Cute, but cheesy." Kelly let her head fall back to rest on Fred's arm. "You'll find something, Fred. The one thing that is for sure about you is that you always find a place that wants you."

Fred turned his gaze to the sky, watching the clouds. "I hope you are right."


	52. Cat or Dog

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Cat or dog**

* * *

John held the small creature close to him, trying to keep it from wiggling out of his hands. It kicked and struggled, trying to get out of his hands. What he was really worried about was if it made noise. There'd be no way to hide it if it did. He opened the front door and looked around, not hearing any sounds inside, or indication that anyone was home. He relaxed a bit, but it gave the creature just enough room to wiggle out of his hands. The puppy landed on the ground, four paws padding over the ground as it took off at a run.

John chased the dog around the bottom floor and up the stairs, finding it hard to predict where the ball of energy would go. It ran up the stairs faster than he thought such a small creature could. He had just reached the top of the stairs when he heard a voice. "What is this?" John cursed and looked over to see Kelly walking out of the doorway to their room. She shut the door behind her and moved toward him, puppy in hand.

She just glared at him and John flinched. He didn't know what to say. She was mad, and he knew she was upset that he'd gone behind her back and gotten the dog. "You know that we've been talking about getting a pet. The kids are old enough."

"Yes, we've been talking about it, but we hadn't decided if we should do it. I can't believe you went out and got a dog." Kelly held the puppy close as it wiggled in her arms. John reached out to take it but Kelly didn't give it up.

"I know we hadn't decided, but I think the kids can handle the responsibility, and I know that Sam and Avery really have wanted a dog." John was ready to argue for it. He liked the puppy, and he thought it was a good idea to teach them to be responsible. He honestly thought that they'd held out longer then they should have.

"It's not about that, I know they are responsible enough. It's about the fact that it's a dog. Did you even know that both Jacob and Kat want a cat? And not to mention, you got a German Shepherd. Not even something like a Lab, or a Retriever." She shook her head.

John was surprised to find that two of his kids wanted a cat. He hadn't ever heard them say anything about it. "A German Shepherd is what they said they wanted. They've seen some of the soldiers with them and they really like them." That was when it clicked in his head. "That's what this is about." John took the puppy from Kelly and slightly opened their bedroom door, putting the canine inside before turning back to Kelly.

"John…" Kelly reached toward the door but he stopped her.

"No, I know what this is about. This is more of that you trying to protect them from being soldiers. For the last time Kelly, we live on a base, you can't protect them from seeing soldiers all their lives." This wasn't the first time that John had argued this with Kelly. She always seemed to be trying to push them away from becoming soldiers. "I know that you don't want them to go through what we did during the war, but what they are when they grow up is for them to choose."

"I know that." Kelly groaned. "That's now what we should be talking about right now."

"Then what should we be taking about?" John froze as he heard barking behind the door, followed by hissing sounds. "You got a cat?" He stared at Kelly, not believing that she was mad at him for getting a dog when she'd gotten a cat.

"That's not what you should be focused on right now." Kelly groaned.

"Then what should we be focusing on?" John stared at her waiting for an answer. He heard a whimper from the other side of the door and realized what she was talking about. He opened the door to their room and was surprised to find a cat sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the puppy that lay curled up on the ground. Blood dripped slightly from the puppy's nose where the kitten had scratched him.

Kelly sighed and moved over to the window, scooping up the kitten. She moved back to the door, pushing John to the side as she moved past. John followed after her as she moved downstairs and into the kitchen. Kelly set the kitten down on a sunny windowsill and then moved to the kitchen table, taking a seat.

John sat down beside her, leaning a bit on the table. "So what do we do?"

Kelly frowned. "Well we can't keep both. I mean, you can't start out with two pets." She ran a hand through her hair, visibly frustrated by the situation.

"Well how do we decide which to get rid of? We'll have to hide them from the kids. If they see them then I have no idea how we're going to make them choose."

Kelly nodded in agreement. The front door opened and Kelly froze. "Did either of us shut out bedroom door?"

John's expression turned to surprised and he shook his head. "Wow, a dog." John cursed as he heard Sam's excited voice.

"Well the puppy's out of the bag." Kelly sighed and leaned back in her chair. "We better hide the cat." Just as she said it eleven year old boy walked into the room. "Hey, Jacob, how was school today?"

Jacob shrugged. "The same as always, boring and lacking any real challenge." He looked completely stoic as he spoke. His brown hair was cut short, to regulation length and the gaze of his blue eyes seemed completely uninterested. "So you bought a dog." John nodded. "Sam and Avery are excited. Catherine's thrilled." Jacob's attention was caught and he moved past his parents over to the window. The kitten looked up from where it was curled up in the sun. He looked down at the feline and then to his parents. "Where did you get it?"

Kelly smiled a bit. "I got her from an ODST. They said their mascot cat got pregnant and had kittens. They were looking for homes rather than giving them to a shelter."

Jacob knelt down a bit, smiling a bit at the gray feline, running a hand over the kitten's back. John could see that he was counting the black stripes along the feline's back. "So then, you needed a good home. I think we can do that."

Kelly looked to John and he sighed. Jacob was not usually one to do something as illogical as talk to an animal. These sort of uncharacteristic actions seemed to indicate some sort of bond, or that he liked something.

"So do we get to keep her?" Jacob looked over to his parents. There was a hint of fear in his eyes.

John let out a long breath. "Yeah, we're keeping her, but only if she and the dog can get along. If they can't, then we'll have to give up one of them."

Jacob turned back to the feline. He carefully picked up the cat and moved through the kitchen. John watched as his son moved through the room. He moved out of the room and a moment later they could hear Catherine's voice echoing loudly through the house. "Yay, a kitten."

John turned to his wife. "So looks like we have two pets." He smiled and chuckled a bit. "We only wanted one."

Kelly started to chuckle as well until she started to all out laugh. "Just like kids. Try for one and get twice the trouble."

By the end of the night John flopped into bed beside Kelly. The two pets, or more dealing with the energetic children with their new pets. The puppy had learned pretty quick that at some point the cat did fight back and when to leave it alone. John hadn't seen his kids that happy in a long time. They'd spent a good bit of time arguing about names. He had nixed their idea of naming the puppy Arby, as he was sure the Arbiter would take offense. He just hoped that Mendez wouldn't take offense at the fact they'd ended up deciding on Franklin as the puppy's name. Catherine and Jacob had had a rather simple conversation about what to call the kitten and after some debating, had decided on Miranda.

Kelly moved over to settle on John's chest. He smiled at her and she smiled back. "That all worked out better than I thought it would. Maybe we can handle two pets at the same time."

John ran a hand over her back, pulling her a bit closer to him. "Just like when we found out it was twins the first, and second, time. We didn't know if we could handle it, but we managed." John pulled her toward him and she gladly moved up until their lips met. When they broke apart John held her close to him. They sat in silence, enjoying the calm, though it was broken as they heard the sound of Sam and Avery arguing about who would get to keep Franklin in their room that night, followed by Catherine telling them to keep their traps shut.

Kelly chuckled as she listened to them argue. "Yeah, they've got the Spartan spirit." John started to chuckle as well as they heard Jacob enter the conversation ,trying to give a logical argument to why they should all just go to sleep and stop making noise.


	53. Zombies

**Pairing: Sort of John/Kelly and Fred/Kathleen, but not really any pairing. **

**Title: Zombies**

**Note: This is my Halloween special for you all. It is set after the events of What could have been but is not actually a part of the canon. Inspired by the walking dead. Enjoy.  
**

* * *

The UNSC wasn't ready for it, no one was. In the wake of the Human-Covenant war there was no way humanity could be ready. They'd over run the town, the disease spreading like wildfire in a short time. The military had taken action, but fighting them was like no conventional fighting.

John leaned against the window sill, looking down from the roof. There were a few wandering about the open grounds but they had no idea that anyone was in the building. In the dark night they'd turned off all the lights, making John all the more thankful for his enhanced night vision.

There was a sound behind him and the rifle shifted in his hands. He stopped as he saw the source. "Hey." he was too tired to say more.

"Hey, I'm here to relieve you." Linda moved over to the window. She looked out, eyeing the ones nearby. "They seem to be rather inactive tonight."

John stood up and handed the rifle over to Linda. "Maybe they found something else to keep their attention." He moved out of the room, not wanting to think of what poor soul it was that had got their attention. John made his way down the hallway to one of the rooms. He opened it, finding his family inside. His children all lay on cots spread evenly around the room. He moved over to the bed where Kelly lay, curled up under the blanket. He moved over, slipping onto the cot beside her.

Kelly shifted and looked back at him. She turned so that she was facing him and moved as close as she could to him. "Were there many out there?"

John glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping children. He didn't want them to have to hear this sort of thing. "There were a few not that many. It's rather quiet out there." He ran his hand over her hair. "Linda's on watch."

Kelly let her head rest against John's chest. "How much longer do you think this will go on? I heard them say that we were running low on food, that they aren't making progress."

"I'm sure that it will be fine." John held her tight against him, not wanting to think about it. "Just get some sleep." He closed his eyes, trying to will himself to sleep.

When John woke up Kelly wasn't there. It wasn't uncommon for her not to be there when he slept in, which he usually did when he had night watch. He got up, passing up checking how the techs were doing with finding a cure. He was tired of them saying they hadn't made progress. He found Kelly in the gym, lifting weights.

John stood, watching her as she moved. She must not have noticed him. He leaned against the frame of the doorway, lost in watching Kelly. He didn't even notice when Fred moved up beside him. "You do realize that staring is supposed to be considered rude?"

Kelly turned to look at them and John frowned. There went his entertainment. "I am aware." He eyed the axe that was resting on Fred's shoulder. "Why do you have that?"

Fred glanced over at the axe. "We're running low on ammunition. Figure that there's no reason I can't kill them up close." John didn't really know what to think of that. He had to admit it was a good idea, but it still seemed risky. "It also doesn't make noise."

"Sweatheart, have you seen the kids?" Kelly moved over to them, frowning. "I mean, were they still asleep when you got up?"

John frowned. "They weren't in the room. Are you sure that they aren't just somewhere around here?" Kelly didn't seem too at ease. It was obvious that something was eating at her. If there was one thing that John had learned to trust more than his own instinct, it was Kelly's maternal instinct. "Fred, can you check one wing of the building. Kelly, you check the west and I'll check the east."

The three Spartans split up, looking for the kids. Usually John wouldn't have been so protective, would have trusted his kids, but he still remembered the day that it had all started. He'd had enough close calls that day with losing them. So he'd become a protective father, after everything he figured he deserved that right.

John met back up with the others and was displeased to find that neither of them had the kids with them. "I don't know where they are." Kelly was obviously getting worried. If John was a protective father, Kelly was more dangerous than any animal mother in the universe.

John reached over, putting a hand on her back. "We'll find them. Who's on duty right now?" John looked to Fred for an answer.

"Well last I knew it was Ash. I'll go see if he saw anything." Fred left the room, heading for the roof.

John pulled Kelly to his side and tried to ease away her worry. "We'll find them. I'm sure that they didn't get that far away." Kelly leaned into him. She didn't say anything and he hugged her tighter.

They'd stood together until Fred returned. He was running. "Ash was knocked out. Who do you know other than one of ours that could knock out a Spartan?"

John moved through the building to a terminal. "Gabrial, did anyone leave?" The AI didn't reply. John cursed. They must have shut down Gabriel to conserve power. He turned to the others. "All right, so they might have left. What do we do?"

Fred frowned at him. "Why are you asking us?"

"Because four of my children are missing. Logical plans isn't really something that I'm currently capable of, Lieutenant." John hadn't want to admit it but he wasn't in a condition to lead. Parents hardly ever thought logically when it came to the safety of their children.

Fred shrugged. "Well I say we go out looking for them." John frowned and Fred shrugged. "We think they left, and as their uncle I can't leave them out there, can you?" John didn't reply to that question. Fred already knew the question. "I'm going to go get my crossbow."

John watched him leave and sighed. This was the sort of reckless thing he'd been hoping to avoid, but here they were apparently using that as plan A. "Why would they leave?" The question brought John's attention to Kelly. "I mean, they aren't fools, they know what's out there."

"I don't know, but it's the only logical conclusion." John didn't like the idea, or have any reason why his kids would do something so stupid, but if they weren't in the building they must have gone out.

Fred returned with the Axe hanging across his back and a crossbow in hand. He'd been using it recently when they would get close enough to shoot. He'd always take back the arrows after he was done. He stared to move toward the doors and John followed him. Fred stopped and turned to look back at John. "You do realize you don't have a weapon, right?"

John frowned. He hadn't realized it. He blamed the worry for his forgetfulness. John grabbed a lead pipe and moved back over. "This should be good enough." John turned to Kelly. "You stay here and keep looking for the kids."

"Wow, when you're worried you really don't use your brain." Fred shook his head and smirked.

Kelly's fist stuck John's shoulder and he frowned at her. "No way I'm staying behind. They're my children as well. I'm going out there." Kelly moved over and grabbed an axe for herself from the wall where it was hanging in case of a fire.

John sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to change her mind. He nodded to Fred and they moved out. "Wait, shouldn't we take some of the others." He stopped as they reached the door to leave the building.

"There are already three of us going on this suicidal mission. We don't need to risk anymore." John had to admit that Fred was right. They were risking enough.

The door slid open and there was only one figure outside. It stood, staring toward the sky. Fred didn't hesitate, he moved toward the figure, switching to his axe. The figure turned toward him and they could see that the left side of her face had been torn away. Her eyes were hazed over like foggy glass and she reached out toward Fred, letting out a weak moan as it started to stagger toward him.

Fred didn't let her get very far. His axe hit the side of her head and she fell to the ground. Two more strikes and he was satisfied that the brain was destroyed. He looked back to John and Kelly. "All right, where do we start?"

John thought for a moment. "I think they'd go to the house if they were out here." Fred nodded and they started to move.

The group moved across the base, doing their best to stay away from the wandering foes. John watched as a trio of them wandered around the front of his home. There had been a long talk about what to call them. They'd decided on calling them rotters, or at least that was what had been voted in as the names. John had wanted to call them what they were, zombies, but he'd been voted down.

An arrow shot through the air and pierced the closest rotter's face. It fell to the ground and the other two turned toward the Spartans. Kelly and John moved forward. One hit and the rotter that John was attacking fell to the ground. One more hit and it's skull was caved in. Kelly's axe struck the center of the second rotter's head and she pulled it free.

"Come on, that noise might have gotten some attention." Kelly ran toward the door and the two men struggled to keep up with the speedy woman. She opened the door and moved through the lower level.

John went up the stairs, Fred right behind him. He moved toward the rooms of their children. He stopped when he reached Catherine's room. His daughter and oldest son stood in the room, an assortment of guns laying on the bed.

Catherine looked toward her father and then toward Jacob. John moved over to his daughter and hugged her to him. "What do you think you two were doing? Where are your brothers?"

"Sam's getting the weapons out of his room. We heard the soldiers talking about how ammunition was slim and we came here to get the stuff we had stored." Jacob didn't seem to understand why they were so upset. "Why did you come here?"

"We came looking for you. We thought you'd gone out and gotten attacked." Fred moved into the room.

"We don't need to be protected." Catherine pushed John a bit away from her. "We were doing just fine. The rotters didn't know that we were here."

John frowned, a bit hurt by his daughter pushing him away. He was still getting used to her recent streak of independence that the young girls showed. "What did you expect us to do? You left and we had no idea what happened." John took a deep breath. None of that mattered any more, they were safe. "Well we can't stay here. We need to get moving." John motioned to his kids and then moved out of the room.

They moved to Sam's room where they found the other two boys, a shotgun, DMR, and pistol all set out while Sam was grabbing an assault rifle. He turned toward his father. "Hey dad. Why are you here?"

"They came to get us. Apparently they think we can't handle ourselves." Catherine obviously wasn't happy at all.

Sam shrugged. "What do you expect? We went out without telling them when there are rotters around and they are our parents."

There was a loud bang down stairs and the group ran down toward the kitchen. They found Kelly trying to hold off a rotter. Her hand was in its throat, holding away its open jaw. Fred moved into action, grabbing the rotter and pulling it away from Kelly. John moved over to where Kelly's axe had fallen and grabbed it. He tossed it to her and she easily caught it. Kelly moved toward the rotter and with one swing lodged the axe into the rotter's head. It fell to the ground and Kelly cursed.

"The thing came up out of the pantry when I opened it. Knocked the axe out of my hand." Kelly ran a hand through her hair and then moved over to her children. "Are you all okay?"

"Not all of us are fine." Catherine was looking past her mother, over at Fred. He was clutching his hand. Catherine looked toward her mother. "What do we do?"

John moved over to his friend and looked at the wound. Fred released it and John could clearly see that it was a bite mark on his hand. "What happened?"

"When I pulled him away he grabbed my arm, bit me." Fred glanced over at Kelly and then looked down toward the ground. "They haven't made any progress."

John closed his eyes. He didn't want to admit that this was happening. He knew what Fred meant. There was a bang on the back door and John could see several rotters through the window. Kelly moved over to the window and looked to John. "How many?" Kelly didn't reply. That was a bad sign. "We need to get out of here."

Fred nodded. "Leave out the front door." He looked toward the back door. "I'll get their attention, should give you a chance."

"What! We can't leave you." Catherine moved over to her uncle. "We can't leave anyone behind. You're a part of the team and members of my team don't get lost behind."

Fred smiled a bit and unslung the crossbow from his back. He handed it to Catherine. "Well then it's good that I'm the ranking officer and therefor this is my team, not yours." He made sure that she grabbed the weapon. "You're on crossbow, and I'm ordering to see that your siblings and parents all get back to the safehouse. Remember rule one: you follow the chain of command." Catherine nodded, pulling back the crossbow and slipping on an arrow. Fred grabbed his axe and handed it to Sam. "You watch their six." Sam nodded, gripping the axe tightly.

John hated to watch this, hated to be once more leaving behind another friend just because he was injured. He motioned to his children. "Scout the front, make sure there aren't many rotters there." The children moved away and John moved over to Fred. He handed him his pistol. "Firing should help to draw them away." He looked into Fred's eyes and spoke what he couldn't speak in words. It wasn't just to draw them away, but to save Fred from being torn apart while still alive. John hugged his friend, holding him tightly for a moment. "Kurt made a good choice. I made the right choice putting you in charge on Reach." He glanced over at Kelly. "I would have nothing without all that you did."

Fred nodded and John moved away, heading toward the front of the house. He stopped at other side of the doorway and looked back. Kelly had pulled Fred to her, kissing him deeply. John didn't really think much of it. He would usually be upset, but he knew what she was doing. She was giving him a moment of happy before he left the house. Kelly pulled away, resting her forehead against Fred's. "You know she'll be waiting for you, on the other side."

"I've always known." Fred's eyes closed. "She's always been waiting." He smiled a bit. "Probably waiting for me, to tell me all the things I did wrong." He pulled away from Kelly. "Go."

She reluctantly moved away, and John stood on the other side of the doorway. She looked at him for a moment and he nodded, letting her know that he'd seen but being sure that the look on his face conveyed he didn't care.

John and Kelly moved to the front door, looking out. There were about seven rotters moving toward the house and more in the distance. A shot echoed behind the house and they all turned, moving as quickly as their broken sluggish bodies allowed them. When the coast seemed clear enough John led the group out of the house and across the open area. The rotters all seemed completely focused on following the gunshots that he could hear in the distance.

It took them only about ten minutes to make it back to the base. "Where have you been?" Linda frowned at them. "We had no idea where you went. Where is Fred?"

Kelly looked toward the ground. John stepped up. "The kids were gone, we went looking for them, and Fred was bitten." Linda looked shocked by the words. "He drew them away."

Linda nodded. "I'll…I'll go tell the others." Linda left, a sort of distant look in her eyes. It was the most emotion that John had ever seen from the woman.

John looked over toward the kids. "Why don't you go take the weapons you gathered to the armory and catalog them?" The kids didn't say anything, but Sam and Catherine still clung to the weapons they had been given.

Kelly watched them leave and then shook her head. "I'm going to go lay down." Before John knew it Kelly was half way down the hallway. He sighed, following after her.

John reached their room and by the time he got there he found Kelly curled up on their bed, under the covers. John moved to the bed, climbing under the sheets with her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

They sat in silence for a long time until Kelly spoke. "I thought we were done losing people with the end of the war." Kelly turned on the bed and pulled herself as close to him. John just held her close, not knowing what to say. He had a feeling this was far from the end of things.

**Final Note: Fred's death is a joke. A writer here on who's been messaging me asked what I was going to do with Fred after the events of 'What could have been'. I thought it was so funny when he asked if I was going to kill Fred. I would never do that. I love the man too much to do that. **


	54. Still There

**Pairing: John-117/Kelly-087  
**

**Title: Still there**

* * *

John moved into the locker room. He was finally used to his new body. Now he was stronger, faster, and smarter than he had ever been. It had been a lot to get used to, but he was starting to like it. The problem was that things seemed too easy. His fellow Spartans were the only soldiers he could fight any more and make it so it didn't seem like it was a waste of time.

John moved over to his locker, opening it. He had just finished his workout, and it had taken a lot more then it usually did to properly exercise, but he'd managed it. He stripped off his shirt, tossing it into the locker. He was about to remove his belt when he felt hands grab the buckle and he was pulled to his left. He looked down and found slim hands undoing the buckle. He looked to the woman attached to the hands and found Kelly, clad only in a towel. "What are you doing?"

Kelly looked up just before she finished undoing his belt and pulled it quickly out of the belt loops in a swift motion. "You're going to take a shower, aren't you?"

John nodded his head. "Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with you stealing my belt."

"Well you don't need a belt to take a shower. I do need a belt to keep my pants up." Kelly held up the belt, waiting for him to argue against it.

John frowned, thinking of stealing it back but he knew better. He may be faster than before the augmentations, but Kelly was always faster then him. He wouldn't stand a chance of grabbing it back. "But then I won't have a belt when I finish my shower."

"That's not my problem." Kelly smirked before she pulled open her own locker. She set the belt on the shelf at the top before she removed her towel, tossing it back over the bench behind them.

John glanced over at her, trying to be discrete as his eyes roamed over her body. At fourteen she was slim, fit, and she'd developed. Since their augmentations she had grown up a lot. Not only had she grown, but she's gained curves where they hadn't been in the past. John turned his attention back to his task at hand, frowning a bit. He felt odd, or at least not like he should have.

In the past when John saw Kelly naked he had to fight himself not to touch her, pull her against him, and do inappropriate things. It wasn't so much that that fight was gone, just that it was so much easier to push those instincts to the side. He still wanted to do all those things, he was sure he would still enjoy them, but it wasn't as much an overwhelming need to do them as it had been. Either something had happened to him during the augmentations that had dampened his desire, or he had just gotten better at controlling himself. He couldn't figure out which one.

He stood before the locker, staring ahead just trying to think it through. The physical desire was lessened, but he knew that his feelings hadn't gone way. He still wanted Kelly close, knew that he still loved her. He supposed it would be for the best. He'd fought with himself about not acting on his attraction, but if he could easily push it to the side then it would make things easier. He wondered if Kelly felt the same drop in physical desires. He would bring it up, but that would be admitting that he still had those feelings for her, which he'd told her he had put aside after they'd broken up. He argued with himself over if asking was a good idea or not. He was so stuck in his mind that he didn't realize that Kelly was saying his name.

"John, are you all right?" Kelly put a hand on his shoulder. John looked toward her, glancing over at her hand. The contact of her flesh on his felt nice, and he was content with just that. Yes, his body did tell him that he would like more, but he didn't feel compelled to act on those desires.

John snapped himself back to the present. "Sorry, I was just thinking. Guess I got lost in my head." He returned to his task, removing his pants and underwear, tossing them in with the shirt in his locker. He turned to Kelly to see her finishing putting on her shirt. "You will bring me a belt?"

"That depends." Kelly shut her locker and she turned to him. He saw her gaze run over his body and she frowned just a little bit. Most people wouldn't have recognized it but he knew her well enough to know even the slightest frown from her. He wondered if she was having the same thoughts as he had had. "Are you ordering that as my squad leader?"

John didn't answer right away. He finally decided which. "No, I'm making a request, as your friend."

Kelly smirked. "Well, then I'll try to remember to bring you back one. Though I'm sure the women of the ship would actually thank me if they got a chance to look at that rear." She moved around him and he jumped a bit as she smacked him on the rear.

John brushed aside the action. She was just messing with him, or maybe she hadn't lost as much of her desire as he had. "Just remember a belt."

Kelly laughed slightly and leaned against the locker on his right side. "We'll see about that, Johnny."

John couldn't help but smile as she called him 'Johnny'. He shut his locker and turned toward her. He quickly looked around the locker room and then reached out, pulling her to him. She let out a sound of surprise as he hugged her. "I'm really glad you survived, I couldn't stand losing you."

He finally released her and she didn't move very far away. "Well, it's good to know that I'm wanted." She hesitated for only a fraction of a second before she turned around and walked out of the room.

John watched as she left, watching the way her hips swayed. He felt the desire rise up just a bit but he easily pushed it down. "Yeah, you're diffidently still wanted." John turned, heading into the showers to clean up.


	55. xmas

**Paring: John-117/Kelly-087  
**

**Title: Xmas**

**Note: I know it early but I didn't get to get out my xmas story on time last year, so I'm making up for it.  
**

* * *

A heavy weight slammed onto John and he sat bolt upright. He looked over to see that it was Franklin. The German shepherd sat on the bed, panting happily. John's attention turned to the foot of his bed and spotted Sam and Avery. The two boys were grinning happily. John didn't understand why they were so happy until it clicked. Sam was wearing pajamas with snowflakes on them while Avery had on a shirt that had a large picture of a Santa grunt on the front and red pajama pants.

"Merry Christmas, Dad." Sam grinned and patted Franklin on his back. The dog obediently got down from the bed. "Now you need to get up."

Avery moved to the side of the bed, shaking Kelly a bit to try to wake her. John stopped him and smiled at his son. "I'll wake your mother. Why don't you two go wake up your siblings and then you can all gather downstairs and we'll open presents."

The two boys grinned and moved out of the bedroom. As soon as the dog was through they closed the door behind them. John was thankful for that. The night before Kelly had given him what she called an 'early Christmas present' and he was sure she hadn't gotten dressed after.

John moved over to her and placed a kiss on her neck. Kelly rolled over and smiled up at him. "You want me to head down stairs first and start up some coffee for us?" Kelly nodded and John got up. He moved over to the dresser and not only pulled out a shirt and pair of pants for himself, but a set of clothing for Kelly. He tossed Kelly's onto the bed and quickly got dressed.

John moved out of the room and out into the hallway, being sure to close the door behind him. He got about halfway down the hallway before Avery ran out of one room and took off down the hallway, quickly turning and going down the stairs. "I am so going to kill you." Catherine moved out of her room, glaring at where her brother had gone. She looked a bit silly in her pajamas that were made to look like ODST armor. She turned as John walked up behind her. "He threw Miranda on me. She freaked out and she's not declawed."

"Did she hurt you?" Catherine shook her head and John put a hand on her head. "Well I'll have a talk with him about being more careful, and not throwing cats on you. Come on, we'll head down-stairs." John started to lead his daughter down the hall but stopped as Jacob moved out of his room.

Unlike his siblings Jacob wore simple pajamas that were a navy blue. Like everything else about the oldest of John's sons, his pajamas were crisp and neat. "Good morning, Father, Kat."

"Good morning, Jacob, and Merry Christmas." He motioned toward the stairs. "Come join us so we can open presents." Jacob nodded and after John and Catherine had moved past his door they followed him.

John led them downstairs where they found Avery and Sam already waiting. "Everyone sit down and pick out a gift that you want to open first." John moved through the living room and into the kitchen. He started up some coffee and then moved back out into the room with his family. Kelly was already sitting on the couch and John took a seat beside her.

Kelly smiled at him and turned back to their children. "All right, everyone go ahead and open your gifts." She leaned back on the couch and John put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and watched their children.

Paper was torn and fell to the ground as the children tore into their gifts. Sam was the first to open his box and grinned as he pulled out what was inside. He held up the smaller box, examining the figure inside. "Awesome, it's the series four Arbiter. This thing is so hard to find." Sam had been collecting the series of figures they would put out every couple of years. They were always released on the anniversary of the end of the Human-Covenant war. He'd already gotten the Spartan and ODST of the 4th series, and John had to pull some strings to get the Arbiter figure, but from the smile on Sam's face it had been worth it.

Catherine was the next to get her box open and she pulled out her gift. It was a box-set of books and she looked them over, grinning. "I've wanted to read these." She shifted them so that she could read over the summary of the series. It was a series of books that had been written by some ODSTs who were the first to work on a mixed species team with elites.

Avery dropped the box of his gift to the floor as he held up his gift. He was staring, amazed at the box in his hand. "Pre-war era Doctor Who." He was laughing happily as he jumped up and down a bit in his seat. He'd been hooked on the series since they'd started it back up after the war, but he wanted to get to know more about the previous Doctor and had wanted old series.

Jacob sat silently, reading a note that had been in his box. "What did you get?" Sam moved over to his twin, looking down into the box. "What is that?"

Jacob set the note to the side and lifted up the object. "It's a cape." He held it up so that his brother could see it. Jacob stared at it, his eyes a bit distant.

"A cape? Why would you want a cape?" Sam tilted his head to the side and looked confused. "What's with the note?"

Jacob lay the cape down in his lap. "It's not just a cape and the note is from Uncle Arbiter. Apparently this was his." Jacob reached into the box and pulled out a datachip. He looked at it, smiling a bit.

Sam reached over and grabbed the note. "Dear Nephew Jacob." Sam started to read off the note. "Once, what seems like ages ago, I wore this cape, the cape of a Shipmaster. In the UNSC the equivalent of a shipmaster is a Commander or Captain. I know that one day you wish to hold one of those ranks." Sam sat down beside his brother as he continued to read. "I give this to you know confident that one day you will reach those goals. Also included in this box is a datachip with information about the previous engagements of the Covenant fleet, including some battles that I led as Supreme Commander. I hope they serve you well in on your path. With honor and respect, your uncle The Arbiter." Sam looked at his brother. "So he gave you an old cape and some history?"

Jacob frowned at his brother. "Must you look at it so simplistically? He gave me something special, and I am honored to have received it."

"I think it's rather sweet." They look to Kelly as she spoke. "He gave him something that meant a lot to him, something that was special."

"It's not even that." They looked back to Jacob. "He didn't just give me a cape, and knowledge, but he gave me his confidence. He said he thought I would reach my goal, be a Commander. Not every gift has to be tangible."

Sam frowned at him. "Wow, do you really have to be like that all the time? I mean being all serious and acting like you're older then you are."

"You know you're father was like that when we were kids." Kelly laughed a bit. "But then again not long after we were your age we went into combat, so I guess it was understandable for him. Though he did eventually loosen up."

"So then you're saying that he'll loosen up when he finds a woman?" Sam grinned at his brother. "Fat chance of that happening." Jacob just glared at him.

"Be nice to your brother, it's Christmas." Kelly shook her head slightly. "Now go ahead and grab more. There's plenty more to open."

The rest of the morning was spent opening gifts, showing them off, and then cleaning up the boxed and wrapping when everything was done. When they'd finished the kids had changed into their winter clothing and gone outside to play in the snow that covered the ground.

Kelly sat in the window, staring outside as she watched her children run around. Her hand absently toyed with the golden necklace that hung around her neck. A golden rabbit hung from the chain. She looked over as John approached her. He handed her a cup of coffee and sat down beside her.

John put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side. "I have to say this was a wonderful Christmas so far. I love my gift." He held up his left arm so he could look at the watch. It had been specially made. Rather than stainless steel it looked to be the same metal as his armor, but that was just an outer layer. The little hand of the watch was a lightning bolt and the big hand was an arrow. The face of the watch was decorated with the Spartan eagle and the number 117 was etched into the band of the watch.

"Well I'm glad you liked it. I was afraid that you'd think it was corny or something." Kelly let her head rest on his shoulder. "I love my necklace."

John looked out the window, watching as Catherine nailed Sam in the head with a snowball. The boy fell and sat up. He held up a rock and then shouted something at his sister. Jacob stood over him, shaking his head at it all. "You ever wonder if they are a little too much like us?"

"There's no such thing as too much you." Kelly smirked at him.

John smiled back. "Well I think they have too much of you in them when they start injuring their sibling." Kelly jabbed her elbow into his side. "See, I told you."

Kelly leaned back into him, becoming comfortable. "Merry Christmas, John."

John sipped at his coffee. "Merry Christmas, Kelly."


	56. Complicated

**Pairing: Emile/Jorge  
**

**Title: Complicated**

* * *

Jorge closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Why couldn't this be easier? Things had started out so pleasant, but once more things had turned to arguing. Things could never be easy with the two of them, and Jorge had never found it easy to have the bond he did with Emile. Jorge knew how hard it could be at times to love the younger man.

He didn't understand why things had to be so complicated. He sometimes could swear that Emile did it on purpose, as though making it hard to be around him served to prove that Jorge really wanted to be there. He banished that thought; he knew that Emile didn't do that. He didn't understand how to test a bond, he was just being himself.

Jorge stood up and put his hands up. "Fine, if that's the way you want to be, you really want to be alone, then I'll leave you alone. I tried, but you don't want this to be easy or simple." Jorge shook his head. He was tired of dealing with Emile arguing with him.

Sometimes Jorge could understand why Emile was the way he was, but sometimes it just didn't make any sense. It seemed like Emile hadn't just close himself off due to the things of the past, but because of things that weren't going to happen, as though he was afraid of all the things that could go bad, and didn't want to risk any of them.

Jorge looked to Emile. It was one of the rare times that the Spartan III was out of armor, and Jorge was sure that was only because it was just him and Emile here. Jorge felt the desire to just go over and wrap his arms around Emile, hug him tight. At the same time the thought of having Emile close to him was exactly what he didn't want. He wanted him to be even further away from him. Emile's gaze turned up toward Jorge and Jorge fought to not pull Emile toward him and try to kiss all of the problems away. Not that at the moment Jorge didn't also want to punch Emile in the face for all the anger and frustration he'd caused. Still, through it all, for some reason, he loved him.

Emile scowled. "I don't give a fuck what you do."

Jorge clenched his fists. "Fine, I'm through with you." Jorge turned to start walking about but Emile stood up.

"Wait." Jorge turned back, could see that Emile wanted to reach out to him but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Even the small bit of changing his mind was enough for Jorge. It was more than he could usually get from him.

Jorge sighed, turned back, and walked over to stand before Emile. He looked the man over. Sometimes he was so sure that he had Emile, that they belonged to each other, then sometimes he would catch him flirting with Kat and he wondered if Emile really was his. Usually he could read the man well enough to see that it wasn't really serious flirting. Right now he wasn't sure what was going on in Emile's head. He was a blank slate that couldn't be read. This bond they had, it felt like it would last forever, but at times like this he wondered if he was just being naive for believing that he and Emile were destined to be together forever, and his heart knew it, though it also told him he could never give up on the man.

Jorge leaned down just a bit so that he could talk to Emile more in person. "Fine, I'll stick around, but only so if you decide you don't want to sleep alone, I don't have to make a long trip back." Jorge moved over to his own cot. He sat down and Emile sat down on his own. Jorge let out a long breath. "Just don't know why you need to make this complicated." He lay down on the cot and stared up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I just don't know why I love you, Emile."

The violent Spartan snorted. "I don't understand why you put up with me either, big man."


	57. Crush

**Pairing: Fred/Kelly  
**

**Title: Crush**

* * *

Fred watched her as she ran laps around the track. She was always running, though he didn't mind. He loved the way she looked as she ran, so elegant and beautiful. He couldn't fight the attraction that he felt toward her. She was a very beautiful woman. He wondered if her skin was as smooth as it looked. His mind wandered to some of the sort of fantasies that he'd been having recently concerning the fast Spartan.

He didn't even realize when she moved over to him, staring down at him. "What are you staring at?" Fred jumped a bit and Kelly smirked, moving to sit beside him. "Want to tell me what's on your mind?"

Fred's gaze turned toward the ground. He didn't want to lie to Kelly, but he couldn't tell her that he'd been thinking about her. He diffidently couldn't tell her what kinds of fantasies he'd been having about her. He decided to be vague in his answer. "I was just thinking about a girl." That was sort of the truth.

Kelly grinned at him. "Oh, is that so." She leaned a bit toward him. "Want to tell me about this girl?" She had an evil grin on her face as she waited for his reply.

He knew who she thought he was talking about. Sure, he liked the girl she thought he was talking about, but she didn't like him. Not to mention she wasn't like Kelly. "Well, this girl is strong, and she's beautiful." He debated if he should give any hints that she wasn't who Kelly was thinking of. "She's…She's really nice, and she's a really good friend. She's really smart. Gentle. Makes good jokes."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "I thought I knew who you were talking about but nice, gentle, good jokes. No idea who you're talking about." Kelly shook her head. "So then, tell me why you haven't told this girl that you like her?"

Fred blushed at that. There was a very good reason. "Well, because someone else likes her and he's better than I am. I can't compete against him, so there's no point in trying."

Kelly groaned. "Maybe the first girl I thought you were talking about was right. You underestimate yourself. You can beat most of the guys in this whole camp. You just don't put enough effort into it." Kelly signed. "You need to believe in yourself more."

Fred shook his head. "No, it's not like he's better in training then I am. I mean he's just…There's no reason she'd choose me over him. Not to mention I know that she likes him back. I can't do that, come in and just waste her time."

Kelly shoved him a bit and Fred looked at her surprised. "Well how is she going to want you if you can't have any confidence? You need to suck it up and just tell her that you like her." Kelly stood up. "Any woman would be lucky to have you, Fred, you shouldn't be afraid that you're wasting anyone's time."

Fred looked toward the floor. "You may see it that way, but I don't think that she'll see it that way." He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.

Kelly groaned. "Fine, don't listen to me and just wallow in misery because you're too afraid to tell her." She turned and started to walk away.

Once she was out of earshot Fred sighed. "I would but you don't feel that way." He stood up and moved off to find something to do.


	58. Haunted

**Pair: Carter/Kat**

**Title: Haunted **

She sat at the table, staring down at her cereal. She was trying to ignore the shouting in her home. They were always fighting, arguing about almost everything. She hated it. She wanted to just run off. She was so tired of all the anger and yelling. She closed her eyes, trying to pretend that she was somewhere else, maybe in a nice field, a river, or maybe on the shores of a peaceful lake. Her mother screamed and she was pulled out of her imagination.

Something fell and she heard glass breaking followed by more yelling. She tightened her grip on her spoon, focusing fully on the soggy cereal before him. She looked up as the sound of sirens rang in the air. She stared out the window, not sure what was going on. Her mother ran into the room grabbing her arm. Her mother pulled her out of her chair, saying something about needing to evacuate. She still didn't really understand what was going on, but she let her mother pull her along.

Her father was already in the car. She climbed into the back seat, buckling herself in. Her father started to drive, while her mother turned around to talk to her. She said something about going to the evacuation shuttles, asking her is she knew where they were. She nodded her head, feeling the panic start to set in. She could now see the sleek cruisers hanging in the air, smaller ships dropping down toward them. Pods dropped from the air, slamming into the road ahead of them. Her father swerved, sending the car rolling.

Kat slowly opened her eyes, realizing that she was hanging upside down. She unbuckled and fell to the broken roof of the car, climbing out of the window. She could feel blood dripping down her right cheek and down her chin. She looked around, seeing the broken road where the pods had dropped, the bloody body of her mother, having been thrown from the car. She spotted her father nearby, struggling to his feet.

A tall figure stood over her father, reaching down and picking him up by his collar. She watched in horror as the seven-foot-tall alien grabbed her father by the neck, lifting him up and a blade of light stabbed through her father's back. The two points of what seemed to be a solid but at the same time nothing but light stuck out of his chest, like a finger pointing at Kat, telling her that she was next. The alien seemed to chuckle before pulling the blade free and tossing the body to the side.

She scrambled to her feet turning and running. Her feet carried her toward where she knew the shuttles were. Her mind kept focused on the image of her father being killed, the body of her mother lying in the road. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she ran through the streets. She wasn't sure when, but a soldier grabbed her. She remembered clinging tightly to the soldier's armor. She could hear gunfire ringing in the air, so close to her. She remembered being packed into the shuttle, crammed in with tons of other civilians. She closed her eye's trying to pretend she wasn't stuffed with so many other children who had probably seen their parents die just as bloody of deaths as she had seen of hers.

Her eyes opened and a friendly arm moved around her shoulder. She looked over at her worried best friend, feeling guilt for being the source of the worry. "I don't see why you let him get you upset like this. He's just an idiot and can't see how smart you really are."

Her gaze turned toward the floor. "I can't really explain it. I just, I hate that he treats me like I don't matter, like I don't have a right to say anything." She wrapped her arms around her legs. "I just can't stand all of the fighting and yelling." Her hand moved to her arm. She had a couple bruises from their latest fight.

"You shouldn't let him push you around like that. Maybe you should request to be moved into a different team," Her friend suggested.

"I've tried. They won't chance my team. I've stopped asking. I just don't see why he can't just hear me out." She closed her eyes and buried her face into her knees.

"Well, you need someone that will listen to you. You have good ideas, and I know that eventually you'll find someone that understands that." Her friend's voice was faded and she heard a deep thud of someone hitting metal.

She sat up, finding that she had fallen asleep at her desk. She stared down at the metal table top, still haunted by the memories of her dream. She reached up, surprised to find tears running down her cheeks. She ran a finger over the scar on her right cheek, the one she'd gotten from the crash that day. It was a reminded of what had happened on New Harmony. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

The door to the room opened and she froze as someone entered. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She didn't want him to see her crying. She was supposed to be strong, the rock-solid, strong-headed woman of the team.

"Kat?" His hand rested on her shoulder and she stiffened. He removed his hand, moving to sit down beside her. "Kat, what's wrong?" He reached over, thumb running over her cheek to remove the tear. She backed away and a hurt look crossed his face.

She turned to him opening her mouth to say something but stopping. He was worried and hurt by her sudden rejections and she felt guilt over that. He hadn't caused any of that pain but here he was being punished for it. He'd been the only person who seemed to be different in her life. He had never caused her pain as those in the past had, and here she was taking out hurt from the past on him. She fidgeted for a moment before she moved forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. His arms went around her, pulling her body toward his.

Kat buried her face into his neck, clinging to him for dear life as she cried. "Carter." Her voice was muffled against his neck and she clung to him tighter. He held her silently as he let her just cry into his shoulder. He hadn't caused any of that pain, but he would be there for her when the past came back to haunt her.


	59. Mending

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title: Mending**

John sat down on his cot, flinching just a bit as pain shot through his side. Medics had seen and tended to his wound but that didn't mean it didn't still hurt. He leaned back, trying to find a way to ease the pain. It was harder than he had expected. His eyes slowly closed and he tried to relax. He'd been told to get some rest.

John was just drifting off when he heard the door to the room open. He ignored it, half listening as the person walked through the room. He slipped farther into sleep but was woken up just a moment later as a hand touched his bare side. His eyes opened and he looked over to find Kelly examining his side where the mark from the wound was still a deep red.

He didn't even think as his hand rose up, running over her head. Her gaze turned up to him and John saw the concern in her eyes. "Your hair is growing back." He smiled as he spoke. He could feel the slight fuzz on her head. She'd voiced a bit of worry, or maybe she had been joking, before that it wasn't going to grow back. It was a good sign to him. It means she was likely to recover fully.

John felt her hand rest on his side and they sat in silence for a moment before she finally spoke. "How's your wound feeling?" Her gaze dropped down to his side, to the mark that would likely vanish in time.

His free hand moved over to cover hers. "It's fine, just hurts if I sit the wrong way. Medics say that I'll be fine." His hand continued to run over her head, enjoying the feeling of how soft her growing hair was under his fingers. It had been a while since he'd been able to touch her hair. He missed it, he missed any physical contact with her that wasn't purely duty related.

Her eyes didn't move from his side and John removed his hand from hers, pulling the shirt down over the area. He was hoping that if she couldn't see it then she might stop thinking about it. He frowned as she didn't move her hand. She was still staring at that spot. "We were lucky, it wasn't a major injury." Her words were quiet as she said them.

John fought his desire to pull her to him and comfort her. "I'm just glad it was me." He wasn't sure what to do. His free hand wanted to feel her skin but he didn't think she'd want that from him. Though she was letting him rub the fuzz of her hair.

Kelly smiled a bit. "That's just like you. If you can't find a way to get everyone out uninjured it has to be you that gets hurt." She leaned against him and rested her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat.

John felt like pushing her away but deep down he knew that he didn't want to. They'd managed to complete their first mission with great success, so he deserved at least a little reward. He'd take that in allowing himself to have Kelly for just a short while. His arms wrapped around her and he held her close. John's eyes shut and he relaxed. "I was a fool to give you up." It had been a thought in his head and when he realized he'd said it out loud he froze, waiting to see if she'd even heard him.

Kelly sat up and John cursed at the dejected look on her fact. "You were." She closed her eyes. "And you broke your promise. You said you wouldn't do that anymore." John felt a pang of guilt as she looked toward him. He could see the hurt in her eyes. She'd trusted him and felt like he'd broken that trust. "Do you remember the promise you made to me?"

John reached up and his fingers ran over the side of her face. "I am still going to keep that promise. I still want to." She smiled and he pulled her back to his chest. "One of these days I'll find a way."

Kelly's hands gripped his shirt. "You better keep that promise." Kelly rose up, pulled herself toward him. Their lips met and John hesitated for a fraction of a second before he held her close and returned the kiss. The door to the room opened and Kelly pulled away quickly. It surprised John and all he could do was release her the moment her movement had registered.

They looked to the door and found Sam staring at them. "They want reports from each of us. Kelly, they want to see you."

"Sure thing, Sam." She turned back to John and smiled at him. "Try to get some sleep. We need you fully mended before we can go on our next mission." She stood up and John watched her follow Sam out the door.

The two Spartans walked in silence for a while before Sam finally spoke. "I thought you and John broke it off." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, keeping his head facing forward.

"Well, we had, but I guess it's not that over." Kelly didn't really know how to explain it. "I still love him, Sam. I always will. I guess a part of me is just hoping he really does love me back."

Sam scowled. "You sure about this, Kelly? You know what happened last time. I just don't want you to be hurt again. I don't want to see you crying over something he's done."

Kelly smiled slightly. "Thank you for caring, Sam, but I can make my own choices. I'm choosing to do this, and you can't change my mind."

"I'm not looking to change your mind, Kelly. If this is what you want, then go ahead. I just want to be sure you really want this." Sam put an arm around her shoulder. "But if he messes up again, I do get to beat the crap out of him, right?"

Kelly laughed and smiled up at him. "Only if we aren't in a combat zone and he isn't already injured badly. Then you can beat him up." She shook her head a bit as they moved down the hallway to make their reports.


	60. She

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: She**

She was a brilliant piece of artwork. Each look revealed new and beautiful things that had been missed the last time. The beautiful color if her skin that stood out so perfectly against her whit tank top, or looked perfect matched with her armor color. She always had that beautiful skin tone, even when she spent so much time in her armor, she never looked pale. Her skin was so smooth, only a few scars marring her perfection.

She was light on his chest, as though there was no one there at all but he could feel the warmth that radiated from her and felt like it soaked into his bones. Her hand absently ran over his chest and he wished that there was no clothing between them. He wanted to feel the flesh of her fingers on his skin, feel even closer to her. Her hand moved at a steady pace and he felt his breath fall into sync with her movements.

He was staring at the data pad screen but his mind couldn't register what he was looking at. She'd managed to convince him to lay down with her, but he hadn't wanted to leave heis work. It had been a pointless concession to make. Laying here on the cot, her on his chest, he couldn't think about anything other than her. He often found himself musing over her. She was someone he could never figure out, no matter how hard he tried. He was sure if he could figure her out then the meaning of the world around him would become obvious, that questions like 'why are we here?' wouldn't be quite as complicated.

Sometimes she infuriated him with insubordination, but only seconds later she could smooth over his bad mood with a couple words and her attitude. Somehow it was impossible to stay mad at her. She was just curious and he couldn't fault her. She broke into high level information just for fun, though it sometimes got her in trouble. He always had to get her out of trouble, though these days she had ways of making it up to him. Her attitude was reckless and at times she showed a complete disregard for the rules, even went out of her way to break them at times. She was breaking rules at this moment as she rested on his chest, though she couldn't care less.

It wasn't just her attitude. She had a way with the soldiers that he envied. No matter what company they were from or what gender she could make friends with them. There wasn't a member of the team that she hadn't been friends with. He wondered at how strong she must have been to handle so much loss. She'd never leaned on him to deal with any of it. He wasn't sure if she just dealt with it on her own or if she'd been bottling it up for years.

He wished that he could understand the soldiers like her. Each and every soldier was a friend, family, a person she knew so well that she could tell if something was wrong from just the slightest change in behavior. She was always the first to notice the signs of issues. She also had a healthy suspicion of command. It seemed like no order was ever simple to her. She questioned why they did anything. It wasn't always a bad thing, though sometimes she got carried away.

He realized he was never going to get any work done. Deciding not to bother pretending he could get anything done, he sat up and could feel her hand pull at his shirt for a moment, asking him to stay. Despite her silent protest he stood up. He moved over and put the datapad down on the desk before he turned back to her.

He smiled as he found her curled up in the warm spot he had left. Her face was buried in the sheets. He moved over and lay down beside her. Right away she curled up against his chest. His arm wrapped around her and she seemed to fit perfectly.

He still didn't know how someone as great as her had settled for him. She would have slapped him if she'd been able to read those thoughts. She was what kept him human, kept him from growing cold in the position of leader. She was his Lieutenant Commander, his heart, his Catherine, and he loved her.


	61. If Only

**Pairing: Kelly/Fred**

**Title: If only**

**Note: This takes place before the events of 'What Could Have Been'. **

* * *

Fred's eyes eased open and he shut them again as the sun filled his vision. He could feel the wind as it ran over him. He took in a deep breath and enjoyed the smell of grass that filled his nose.

Something landed on Fred's chest and he sat up. His eyes opened to find himself staring at a six-year-old little girl. Her black hair was tied back in a messy pony-tail. She must have done it herself. Bright blue eyes shined as she grinned at him. "Daddy, do you want to play catch with me?"

Fred smiled at her. "Why don't you play with your brother? I'm sure Will would love to play catch."

The little girl poured, upset that he didn't want to play with her. "Fine." She got off of him and ran off. "Will, play catch with me." Fred watched as she ran up to a blond haired boy who looked to be about eight. He looked to be slightly annoyed by his sister but decided to play with her anyway.

"Why didn't you go play with her?" Fred looked up to find Kelly staring down at him. She crouched down beside him. "I know that you really like playing games with her." She sat down, leaning against Fred's side.

Fred put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "I know I do, but she hasn't been spending as much time with her brother. They could use some time together." He leaned toward her, nuzzling his face into her hair. "Besides, I'd rather spend time with you."

Kelly laughed and one of her hands moved up to the back of his neck. "I swear, sometimes you're so corny it's sad." She shook her head but held him close to her. "Might help William find a girl one day if he can learn it…or it will drive them away?"

Fred grinned and chuckled. "I hope he doesn't. I think you're the only woman that sort of corny stuff worked on." His free hand moved to her waist, pulling her close. "You know I think that maybe we should have a third one. I think that three might be the perfect number."

Kelly pulled him away and frowned at him. "Oh no. John might be able to get away with that but there is no way I'm giving you a third." Fred frowned at her words. He didn't understand why she'd brought up John. "Besides, handling Kathleen is more of a handful for us. I don't think we need a third…not to mention I don't want to fight you on not naming him or her after more of your old teammates."

Fred sighed and nodded. "Fine, you get to name the next one." Kelly pushed him away and Fred grinned at the playful action. There was no actual anger behind it and Fred knew she didn't really take it offensively.

Fred smirked at her and then moved forward. He pinned her down to the ground and she laughed as he settled on top of her. Fred kissed her, enjoying the feel of her against him, of having her all to himself.

Fred's eyes opened and he sat up, looking around to find himself alone in his room. He looked to his bedside table and picked up the picture frame. He looked down at the image, all of the Spartans gathered together, the four young children of John and Kelly, the still toddling child of Tom and Lucy. He frowned at the image of Kelly, wrapped happily in John's arms, the golden bands visible on each of their left hand ring fingers. Fred hung his head, cursing himself. It had just been a dream, a vision of what he could have had if he wasn't such a fool.

It was what could have been, if only he hadn't let her go.


	62. Up a Tree

**Pair: Carter/Kat**

**Title: Up a tree**

* * *

The drop had been a total failure. The Falcon they'd been on had been hit by a wraith. It had started to fall and Carter had ordered the only thing he could. He ordered them to jump. If they hadn't they would have plunged into the valley below. Even with their armor a fall from that height would have killed them.

Carter had hit the ground hard, but was alive, and less injured then he had expected. He hurt but he was able to move so he could fight which meant he stood a chance. Now he just needed to find the rest of his team. Carter activated his friend-or-foe tags and spotted the tag for Emile and Thom a distance away. They seemed to be heading toward each other from the direction and distance that they were moving. He turned to his right and spotted Kat's tag much closer.

Carter decided to head for his Lieutenant Commander. He noticed that her mark wasn't moving any closer to him and he felt panic edge in. If she wasn't moving toward him then she might be too injured to come to him. As the fear set in he moved a bit faster toward her.

When he reached where her marker should be he was surprised to find it not on the ground but above it. He looked up to find Kat dangling from a tree, trapped by several branches above, struggling to get free. "Need some help?"

Her helmet turned toward him and he could feel the frown behind it. "No, I'm just dangling helpless from a tree with no way to get down." Kat struggled more.

Carter smirked up at her. "Aw, there's a kitten stuck in a tree. Want me to call the fire department?"

Kat stopped struggling. "A large group of muscular good looking guys to save me? Just make sure you're clear that they should be shirtless."

Carter frowned. "I don't think they take calls this far into the forest. Guess you'll have to settle for me." Carter started to make his way toward the base of the tree. It didn't look like climbing would be hard but he didn't know if it could hold his weight.

Kat turned to watch him. "Can you at least save me shirtless?"

Carter started to climb. "You know how long it takes to get this armor off." He climbed up to about her level and started to ease his way out onto the branch.

Kat huffed unhappily. "Fine, but I get to stare at you shirtless later." She watched him as he grew closer.

"Like you need my permission. You'll stare if you want to." Carter had, for a while just ignored the leering she would do when he was changing or showering.

"You know that I will." Kat chuckled a bit. "I don't think the math adds up." Carter stopped, waiting for her to explain. "That branch cannot support that weight."

Just as she said it the branch gave way under Carter, freeing Kat from where she was trapped. He hit the ground and groaned. It felt harder this time. Carter eased a bit and pushed himself up a bit.

"I could have used you not landing on me." Carte looked down to see that he had landed on Kat. She was lying on the ground. He had landed perfectly on her. That explained why it hurt so much more.

"Damn, seriously?" Carter and Kat looked over to see Thom and Emile staring at them. "Seriously, we leave you two alone and you jump each other." Emile shook his head.

Thom sighed. "Still don't see why you choose him." he moved over toward them and looked around. "Think the Covenant are far enough away that you two could get it done before they arrived, but we totally get to watch."

Kat pushed Carter off of her and got up, standing up. "Bugger off." She turned and started to walk off.

Thom crossed his arms. "You know what that actually means? I'm not Jorge, if you've forgotten, so there's no way he'll do that with me."

Emile moved over to Carter. "Sorry, Commander. Didn't mean to get in the way of you banging Kat."

Carter groaned. "Just be quiet." He turned and started to walk after Kat.

Emile looked over to Thom. "We're really in trouble, aren't we?" Thom nodded and they moved after their leaders.


	63. At peace

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: At Peace**

Kat nuzzled more against the warmth beside her. She felt his lips kiss her head gently and she opened her eyes. She smiled up at Carter who returned the smile. "Morning, Kitten."

Kat stretched and sat up. "Good morning, Pup." She smirked at Carter and moved, running her hands over his bare chest. She felt heat radiate from him as her hands moved over her skin. Her mind registered that something was wrong but she ignored it.

Carter sat up and pulled her toward him. "So what's the plan for today?" He buried his face in her neck. She felt his hands moved over the skin of her sides as he made himself comfortable.

"Well, we need to get dressed." Carter let out a grumble and Kat laughed. He pulled her a bit closer, obviously not wanting to partake in that activity. "After that, breakfast. Then I'll head to the lab. We're moving into the testing phase of the new equipment. As for you, if I remember correctly you are supposed to be inspecting the soldiers who are nearing completion of bootcamp. Oh, and you have a meeting with the Colonel."

Carter smirked and she felt it against her skin. He turned his head a bit so that she could hear him speak. "Can't help but read my messages, can you?" He didn't seem upset with her at all.

"Well you did make your password rather easy to crack. Though I am touched you made it my birthday." Kat pulled him away from her and he groaned unhappily. "Don't complain, we have to start the day."

Kat got dressed and made her way down stairs. She loved her house, it was so perfect. The walls were a soft blue and the windows were slightly open allowing a pleasant breeze to move through the house. The blue walls were perfectly matched with the tan couch. A set of mahogany book cases stood to one side filled with technical books and old books about ancient wars and battles. She moved through the room and into the kitchen, feeling very at home surrounded by the blue and white which was so much like her armor.

Kat moved over to the cabinet and retrieved a bowl. "Morning, mom." Kat jumped a bit and turned to see a ten-year-old girl sitting at the table. "What's wrong?"

Kat smiled and put the bowel on the counter. "Nothing, I just didn't see you sitting there." She frowned as she spotted the paper on the table. "Why do you always procrastinate on your homework? What have I told you about that, Katy?"

Katy scowled. "Because it's not hard. I don't need to do it the night before. I can do it easily while eating my cereal." She seemed completely bored with the subject. Kat got the feeling this wasn't the first time she'd complained about how easy school was.

"She did get your mind." Carter entered the room. Kat smiled as she looked him over. He wore his dress uniform, which not only intimidated the soldiers in boot, but would be proper for his meeting with the Colonel. "I've got to get going, I want to catch the trainees during morning drills."

Kat kept him from moving away. She placed a quick kiss on his lips before releasing him. "Have a good day, dear."

Carter left and Kat turned her attention to her daughter. "All right, time to get ready for school. Go upstairs and I'll put your homework and lunch in your bag. I'll drop you off at school." Katy headed up stairs and Kat checked to be sure everything was in the young girl's bag. When Katy came back downstairs Kat led their way to the warthog that served as their car.

Kat had modified the jeep herself, with some help from Carter. She'd changed the radio so it could pick up local stations, allowing them to listen to music or news rather than just the reports of soldiers. The machine gun had been removed from the rear and replaced with padding so it would be more comfortable.

Kat drove through the base, making a stop at the on-base school. All the children of the soldiers living on base went there. Kat dropped off Katy and she watched her move over to join a group of girls. Kat frowned as she saw her daughter hand over her homework for one of the other girls to copy. She'd have to have a talk with her about making people do their own work, or Carter should do it. Kat had to admit that lecturing her daughter for breaking rules might be a bit hypocritical of her.

Once Katy was inside Kat drove off. The Lieutenant Commander reached the lab several minutes later. When she walked in two people greeted her.

"We're ready to test out the new internal systems and neural uplink. The system finished compiling all the specifications last night." A man with short cut black hair followed Kat through the lab. "The under layer you designed is also ready and prepped for you."

Kat nodded as she moved into the locker room. Kat stripped so she could put on the under layer. It was hung up in a case to the side and she had to enter a code before the doors opened and she retrieved it. She could feel the eyes of the two male techs on her. "Be careful to only look, boys. I do have a husband that could easily kill you. On second thought, he might kill you for looking." The two techs both looked away as she slipped on the form fitting black suit. They then hooked her up to a series of body armor pieces. It was only enough to run the system but would be nothing like the finalized armor.

They spent the day putting the system through its paces, testing it in all kinds of situations. It performed perfectly. Kat had been pleased, and she'd gotten plenty of impressed words from her team when they'd deemed it ready. She'd set them to the task of slimming down the armor components and making them more adaptable for more situations before she moved back to the locker room.

Kat had just put the under layer away when arms wrapped around her and she felt lips on her neck. She smiled as she right away recognized the feel of the man behind her. She leaned back into him, her hand moving up to hold his face to her neck. "What are you doing here?" She loosened her grip a bit so he could move his head.

Carter lifted his head enough so he would whisper into her ear. "I love watching you work." From the way his arms pulled her closer against him she got the idea. "Not to mention I thought, what's better to do after a long boring meeting with a Colonel then have a bit of fun?"

Kat laughed and turned around, grabbing the collar of Carter's uniform. "I could use some fun." She pulled him to her, crashing their lips together.

Kat hit the floor and groaned as she rubbed the back of her head. She looked up at her work bench. Her chair was knocked over and she guessed she must have fallen asleep at her work bench and had fallen. Kat stood up and righted her chair. She sighed as she looked around at the empty room. It had all just been a dream. She sat down in her seat, rubbing her temples. She'd been so happy in the dream, so at peace. She groaned. There was no point dwelling on what could never be.


	64. I Love You

**Paring: Tom/Lucy**

**Title: I Love You**

Tom lay on the cot, just watching Lucy sleep beside him. She was sleeping calmly for the first time in the last week. She'd been having nightmares about that awful day. He remembered it so clearly, the explosions, all of his team gone. He would dream of it himself, sometimes, but in the end he was always happy. In the end Lucy was alive, and he would wake up and she would be there, in his arms. All that mattered to him was that she was alive.

To this day he couldn't believe his luck. All of Beta had been destroyed, but somehow he had managed to keep Lucy, somehow they had made it out alive. He had lost something, though, that day. Sure, he'd lost Beta Company, but there was something more that he'd lost. From that day forward he never heard a word from Lucy again. Sure, she made little sounds, and he learned how to interpret them. Even though he knew how to understand her, he still missed her voice. He missed her laugh, her tone when she would be mad at him, and the way she would say his name.

There was something more he missed, though, or maybe it was just something he regretted never having heard. Before Beta had been wiped out they had been teammates, friends, companions, but nothing more. It wasn't until after that he'd had the guts to tell her how he'd felt. Still, from there things went so slow. Tom hesitated about everything in their relationship. It had taken him until they were locked in Onyx to even kiss her. It had taken until half way through Gamma Company's training for him to even admit that he loved her. But that was where the issue was.

He wished that he could hear it just once. Hear those words from her own lips, in her voice. She had found so many ways to say it, to tell him how she felt. He cherished each and every way, but he wanted to hear it. He's said it, so many times, though there was no real way for her to reply.

The woman beside him stirred and her eyes slowly opened. She smiled up at Tom and he smiled back softly. "I love you." The words were quiet but seemed so loud in the empty room. Lucy simply smiled wider, and Tom swallowed his disappointment. He leaned down toward her, placing a kiss on her forehead. He would never hear those words from her, but he knew that she felt them. He knew that she loved him, and that was what mattered. Even if she'd never say it.


	65. Minor Injury

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Minor injuries**

For once John was glad to be out of his armor. Usually he would have felt vulnerable, or uncomfortable, but right now armor was so busted up it had felt more like a prison. The fight had been a tough one, and it had felt like it was going to drag on forever. In the end they'd come out battered and bruised, armor broken and dented, but still alive.

John was leaving the laboratories and moving through the ship toward the storage area that the Spartans were using as their barracks when he spotted a familiar person. He stopped in the hallway and they stood in silence for a moment before she moved closer to him. He watched as she raised her hand and he felt her hand rest on the side of her face, thumb running over his cheek from her touch. John flinched as pain spread across his cheek. He must have been injured and not noticed.

"How'd you make out?" Kelly was trying to keep her voice neutral, but John could hear the tint of concern in her voice. It almost made him smile that she was worried about him, but he felt guilty about making her worry at all.

"Just some minor injuries. My armor took most of the damage. How about you?" John couldn't see any new injuries, but he knew Kelly. She would hide it if she were injured.

"I'm fine." Kelly continued to stare at where her hand was. John wasn't sure if he believed her, her tone wasn't really convincing. "Does it hurt?"

John wasn't sure what she meant until she moved her thumb again and he felt the pain on his cheek again. "I didn't even know it was there." It was the truth. He hadn't realized he'd been injured there.

Kelly's concern was openly being shown on her face as she ran her fingers along his cheek. John closed his eyes, just wishing that they weren't still wearing the black under layer of their armor. He wanted more places where they could touch. The fight had been one of those kinds that made him worry that they weren't all going to come out alive. It had been a relief when they'd made it to the evac.

"You know you got lucky." Kelly's words snapped him back to reality and he looked at her, confused. "It could have been much worse. You need to stop doing foolish things like what you did. One of these times you aren't going to be so lucky and you're going to get yourself really badly hurt."

John smiled a bit. "My luck hasn't run out yet. Though when it does you'll be around to drag me off the field."

Kelly smiled a bit as well. "I might convince Fred to do it for me. I have a feeling you're heavy." Kelly's hand pulled him closer to her as she moved up onto her toes enough to be nearly at eye level with him. Her lips pressed gently against his left cheek, right under his eye. He felt a bit of pain as her lips touched the scratch but it vanished as his eyes closed and he enjoyed the physical contact.

Kelly pulled away and John fought his urge to pull her to him. They were in an open hallway, someone could see them, another Spartan might see them, so he kept his hands to himself. He was conscious that Kelly's hand moved away from his face and he missed the contact.

"Please, just try to be a bit more careful," Kelly said.

John smirked a bit at her. "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises. I don't make promises unless I can keep them."

Kelly smiled a bit, and John could tell that she was remembering something from the past. "Oh, I know your policy about promises." She turned and started to move toward the makeshift barracks. "Come on, we should get some rest."

John followed after her, agreeing that he could diffidently use some sleep.


	66. New Years

**Pairings: John/Kelly, Tom/Lucy sort of implied Mark/Linda and Olivia/Ash  
**

**Title: New Years**

* * *

Kelly moved into the living room, setting a tray of wine glasses filled with Champagne. "All right everyone, grab a glass. It's almost time."

Mark and Linda grabbed a glass each and passed glasses back to Ash and Olivia. Tom grabbed two glasses for him and Lucy. He shot a suspicious look at Dylan, the young male friend Tom and Lucy's daughter, Holly, had brought to the party. The young man retreated with two glasses to Holly. Dylan had looked terrified all night long. Kelly was fairly sure this was his first time meeting Holly's parents.

Kelly's attention turned to Leonard, the man Catherine had brought as her date. His black hair was cut short and neat. His grayish-brown eyes held a look that suggested that even at his young age he'd lost friends. On his right shoulder was the flaming comet of the ODST with two dates under it, though she didn't know why. On his left shoulder was the silhouette of a lion. He was at least three years older than Catherine. Kelly wasn't sure what to make of him. He looked like a hard-core ODST, the kind of guy that she figured Catherine would be into, but she was protective of her daughter and she wasn't sure about the man's motives.

Kelly grabbed a pair of wine glasses and moved over to John. He took the glass when it was offered as his hand moved to her waist, pulling her to his side. "You did a wonderful job with the party this year, Bunny."

Kelly smiled and leaned into his side. Her gaze once more drifted to her daughter, who was now sitting happily on her date's lap in a chair. "What do you think of Leonard?"

John looked down at her. "I like him." The response surprised Kelly. She was expected it to be more suspicious or fatherly, not accepting of the man who was dating his daughter. "I know he looks rough but when he spoke to me he was very polite and seemed sincere. He seems to be serious about our daughter. Besides, she's eighteen, she can make her choices." John frowned glancing toward Jacob. "I'm more worried about our oldest's date."

Kelly could understand why. Jacob had brought a girl named Tiffany, the perfect example of an airhead blond. Kelly brushed it off. "He brought her as a favor to another officer. From what Jacob said she didn't get invited to some party so her father asked Jacob to bring her to our party. Spartan party with one of the UNSC's most famous heroes will give her something to brag about. He's not even interested in her." It was kind of obvious from the blank way Jacob was pretending to come about what the blond was saying.

"At least Avery brought home someone normal." John grinned as he looked to his youngest son. Avery was sitting beside a young woman with long black hair that spilled over her shoulder. She obviously had some Latin decent. Both Kelly and John had already met Rosa. She was smart, beautiful, and could nearly match their son's love of science-fiction. She'd started coming over to help Avery with his book. That's all they thought the two were doing until Kelly had gone to invite Rosa to stay for dinner and found the two making out on Avery's bed. It had been an awkward dinner.

"The count down's starting." Sam announced. He put an arm around his date's shoulders. She smiled nervously, but she'd been nervous all night long. Kelly had yet to actually talk to Sara but she got the feeling that the girl was just nervous meeting all of Sam's family at once. She wore a nice dress and it looked like she's gotten her shoulder length black hair cut recently.

Everyone gathered around the screen as the image turned to that of the city's celebration. There was a large crowd gathered in the city's main square and a large ball of light started to drop down toward the ground slowly.

As the ball reached half way the group started to count. "Five…Four…Three…Two…One." The ball reached the bottom and the bright lights shined, 2581.

John pulled Kelly to his chest, kissing her as the clock struck midnight. They broke apart but John kept her close. He raised his glass and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "Here's to a new year."

The group raised their glasses and echoed the toast before they drank down the liquid. The rest of the night was spent talking about resolutions for the year. There had been an awkward moment when Leonard told John and Kelly that his main resolution was to propose to Catherine that year. Not only did Kelly find out that Leonard had been dating her daughter for almost a year, but he found out that Catherine hadn't told them.

When the house was finally empty Kelly and John collapsed onto the couch. John held her close, moving so that he was laying on the couch and her on top of him. "Well that was fun."

Kelly moved to be more comfortable on him. "I still can't believe that you gave him permission." She looked up at him a bit. "You don't even know the guy."

"And you don't know him either. I talked to him. He's an ODST, and Catherine is going to be one as soon as she graduates." John shifted a bit so that they could look at each other. Kelly shifted to be laying on her stomach on his chest. "They've been going out for a year and I don't want to be like I know Catherine is fearing I will. I know that she's thinking I'm going to tear off his head, and the next time that he comes and talks to me again, cause he said he would when he finally got around to asking her, then I'm going to make it clear that if he does hurt her, I will rip his heart out."

Kelly laughed and smiled at him. "I think that I can live with that." Kelly settled on his chest, closing her eyes.

John sat up and carefully shifted to lift Kelly up. She tried to argue but he kissed her to keep her quiet. "You've spent all day making this amazing party, the least I can do is take you to bed and tuck you in." He carried her up the stairs to their room. He set her down on the bed and undressed her. She curled up under the covers and John took the time to undress before he slipped down under the covers. John curled up with Kelly, placing a light kiss on her neck before he settled in for the night.

"You never told me what your resolution was," Kelly muttered.

John smiled burying his face in her hair. "I've got you, four kids that are out on their own finding their way in the world, and there's peace. What more could I want?" Kelly laughed and John held her close. "I have a feeling it's going to be a good year." He closed his eyes, sure that there were only good things to come.


	67. Concern

**Pair: Emile/Jorge**

**Title: Concern**

Jorge moved deep into the cave. They were to rest up for the night so they'd be ready for the mission tomorrow. He didn't really know where he was going, but it was going to be a good distance away from the rest of the team. The sound of the fighting outside, the Covenant winning, faded as he went deeper and deeper.

He finally reached an end, and the person who had led him back there. "You really secluded yourself off this time." He sat down and frowned as the other man turned away. "What's your problem?"

Emile huffed as he tried to cross his arms tighter and attempted to scoot away from him. "Why don't you go sleep by Six? After all, she's the one you're going up with tomorrow." His voice was agitated and just the slightest bit hurt.

Jorge removed his helmet and set it to the side. "That's what you're upset about. You do realize that she's the only one of us that can fly a Sabre. There's only space enough for two in it, so it's just me and Six going up tomorrow." Jorge put a hand on Emile's shoulder and Emile shook it off. "I don't get why you are upset about that."

Emile finally turned so that he could look at Jorge. "There's plenty of room for five on the falcon tomorrow." He rolled back over, curling up a bit. Jorge let out a loud laugh and Emile sat up. Jorge could tell he was glaring at him from behind his visor. "And you wonder why I don't like talking to you."

Jorge calmed down and smiled at the Spartan III. "First, you love talking to me. Second, you want to go to the facility with us tomorrow?"

Emile looked away from the larger Spartan. "Well, remember how things turned out the last time that Kat planned an op?" He shrugged a bit. "Plans like these, seems something always goes wrong."

The smile fell from Jorge's face. "You don't think I'm going to come back? That's dark, Mars, even for you."

Emile turned toward Jorge. "What did you just call me?"

"Mars, Kat suggested it. I kind of like it." The smile returned. "What? Don't like being called the god of war?" He leaned a bit toward Emile. "So, do you really think I won't come back?"

Emile's head lowered a bit as he looked away. "You can't be too careful when it comes to Kat and her plans. It's just, if you don't come back…"

Jorge watched him. He moved a bit closer to the other man, grinning as he tried to lighten the mood. "So you want to be there to say goodbye? Want to have one of those movie endings where you and I stand at the terminal or whatever to the Sabre. You express your worry that I won't come home and I promise you that I will. We both admit that we love each other and after a passionate kiss I head off to launch into space."

"Why do I ever talk to you?" Emile turned his helmet away from Jorge. "I'm trying to be serious and you're joking around. What if something does go wrong? That facility will be the last place I'd be able to see you." Jorge reached over and Emile tried to stop him but the larger man hit the release, removing Emile's helmet. "Why do you keep stealing my face?"

"Because it's not your face. It's the face you show the world but it isn't the face of my partner." Emile calmed down at Jorge's words. The Spartan II set the EVA helmet to the side beside his own before he turned back to Emile. Jorge's hands moved up, grabbing the sides of Emile's face so that he couldn't look away. Compared to Jorge's hands even Emile's head looked tinny. He leaned in a bit closer and locked his gaze onto the violent man's eyes. "I will never leave you, Emile. I will do everything to come back to you after this mission, but even if I can't in body, I will always be there. I will follow you, watch your back, forever with you, and on that day when that reckless attitude of yours causes you to be finally taken down while you do something stupid to take out hundreds of Covenant, I'll still be there. I'll be there to take you to a place where you won't ever have to fight again." Jorge shrugged slightly. "Unless you want to keep fighting. Honestly I find it to be the most impressive part of you."

Emile pushed Jorge away a bit. "Like hell I'd ever stop fighting." He glared at the other man. "And you ain't getting your movie ending." He lay back down and turned away from Jorge, settling in for sleep.

Jorge let out a long breath before he lay down beside the other man. "Guess that would be asking too much." Jorge closed his eyes but opened them again as something hit him. He looked at Emile who had scooted over to be lying against Jorge. The bigger man smiled as he moved his arm to rest over Emile's waist. Emile didn't push him off so Jorge settled in for a good night's sleep, or at least as best as he can inside of a cave while there are Covenant nearby.


	68. Happy Holiday

**Pairing: Tom/Lucy**

**Title: Happy Holiday**

Tom needed to get himself under control. His hands were shaking and he was sweating too much. He straightened the Santa hat on his head, hoping that it didn't look stupid. He'd been waiting for this day for weeks, biding his time to make it special.

He heard light steps moving through their home but they were drowned out by the sound of his heart beating loudly. Lucy moved into the room, still in her sleep wear. She wore a pair of pajama pants with the UNSC logo on them and one of Tom's shirts. On her his shirt went all the way down to mid-thigh and he was sure she could just ditch the pants and still be fully covered. The shirt was one of the ones Tom didn't really wear very often. It simply said 'Silence is Sexy'. The shirt had been a gift from Ash about a year go for Tom's birthday.

"Merry Christmas." Tom smiled nervously. Lucy returned the smile and pointed to a sign on the wall that said 'happy holidays'. It was her way of returning the greeting. It was at least better than her not having any way to reply at all. The silent response at some point had just become what Tom preferred. He couldn't really remember what Lucy's voice sounded like. At times he still did miss her voice but it was getting harder and harder to miss something he didn't remember. He felt like if she started to talk now it would just be weird.

Tom fumbled for a way to start speaking. He realized how little he had things planned out. Lucy put up a hand, stopping him before he could even start. She pantomiming drinking from a cup and then opened her eyes wide, pretending to be awake. It was her way of saying she needed coffee.

"Oh, yeah I made some. I left out a mug for you to use." Lucy pecked Tom's cheek before she moved into the kitchen. Tom sat down on the couch, trying to collect himself. Lucy came back into the living room, mug in hand. She sat down, sipping the warm liquid inside. Tom had made sure to put out her favorite mug, the one with the little engineer on it making a heart with its tentacles. She looked at Tom as though he should obviously be doing something. She motioned to the Christmas tree in the corner and it struck him, he should be playing Santa.

Tom got up and moved to the tree, grabbing the few gifts under it. Each year they got each other something special and this year was one that Tom hoped would be extra special. He handed Lucy her gift and sat down beside her, unwrapping his own. Tom tore away the paper, taking a moment to stick the bright blue bow from his gift to Lucy's head. Tom turned his attention down to the picture in his hands. He didn't know how she'd gotten it but in a simple steel picture frame was an image of Tom, Lucy, and Kurt.

Tom looked over to see her examining her gift. He decided to take pity on her and set the picture to the side, taking the device from her. He strapped it to her arm and switched it on. A screen lit up on the device and Tom showed her that it had a keyboard. "I know how annoying it is for you to talk to random people. I thought this could help and it can be with you at all times."

Lucy smiled and started to type on it. She held it out for Tom to read. He pushed it away. "It's for you to use with other people. I can understand you just fine." Lucy smiled and gave Tom a quick kiss. "Like that means you liked it." Lucy made a heart with her hands. "Correction, you love it." Lucy grinned as he got it right.

Tom reached over and grabbed the picture. "And I love this. I don't know how you got it but you're amazing." Lucy shrugged, brushing off the compliment. Tom took a deep breath before he spoke again. "I have something else for you." Lucy looked at him, confused. He reached behind him where he'd hidden a small box.

"Luce, I've thought about it a lot and I think that I've put it off long enough. I love you, and that's never going to change." He stood up and then got down on knee as he held out the box to her as he opened it. Lucy stared at the ring inside. "Lucy, will you marry me?"

Lucy's mouth hung open and Tom watched her carefully, looking for an answer. A smile spread over her face and she tackled Tom to the ground, kissing him passionately. He took that as a 'yes'. Lucy suddenly got off of him and moved off through the house.

Tom sat on the floor, not understanding where she was going. "You know no one will understand what you're trying to get across unless you let me put the ring on!" He frowned, wondering where she'd run off to.

Lucy ran back into the room and held out an envelope to him. He took it and frowned at it. Had she been waiting all this time to give him a letter of acceptance? He opened it up and was surprised to find medical papers inside. Tom looked them over, at first thinking that they were going to say that Lucy may be able to talk again. That was until he got to the bottom and saw what sort of test they'd been doing.

Tom looked up at Lucy and was trying to find words. He finally just reached forward and pulled her into a hug. "I'm going to be a husband and a daddy." Lucy hugged him back as they celebrated. "Definitely the best xmas ever."


	69. Calm

**Pairing: Fred/Kathleen**

**Title: Calm**

**Note: Kathleen is my OC Spartan. I had to do this and I hope that you'll give it a chance. If you like it then you can also read ODSS and From the Battlefield, two series that are where Kathleen is from. **

Fred nuzzled against the exposed skin. He'd pushed her shirt up enough to rest his cheek on her bare stomach. He'd been surprised she let him move her shirt at all without a fight. She hadn't smacked his hand away or insulted him. Her unusually docile nature was why he was currently curled up against her side, enjoying the feel of her skin.

Most people didn't think that she had a calm side like this, only a violent side. It was just that none of them spent as much time with her as he did. She was like a cat, though she'd hit him if she knew he'd thought that. She could care less most of the time about what other people did or thought, unless it affected her directly. If you did annoy her she had no problem bringing out her claws and drawing blood. At other times she was more than willing to curl up with him, content.

He could feel her hand running over his hair. He was fighting to stay awake but his eyes were slowly closing. The sound of the forest and the warm sun weren't helping him. He was just starting to fall asleep when he suddenly found himself on his back. His first thought was that she'd realized how calm she was and had pushed him off, returning to her closed off violent self. That wasn't the case as she lay down on top of him. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. Her hand moved up to his neck as one of her legs wrapped around his leg. Fred carefully wrapped his arms around her, slipping one hand up her shirt a bit to feel her skin.

The calm once more settled in, allowing Fred to relax. He ignored his worry that any moment she could decide that she didn't want him near her and would put those walls up. He was fairly sure that if he kept his mouth shut he wouldn't ruin this. He'd found that most of the time it was something he said that upset her and wrecked moments like this.

To his surprise she spoke, asking a question he didn't expect. "Fred, do you want kids?" Her words were muffled against his neck but there was no way of mistaking what she'd said.

Kids, she was talking about kids? More importantly she was talking about kids with him. His mind raced, trying to decide if she wanted the simple truth or was looking for a particular answer. He thought about pretending to be asleep but rejected the idea. She'd just shifted him and there was no way he could have slept through it. He couldn't pass up this chance either. If he didn't say something now he may never have a chance to talk about this with her again. He decided that the truth was the best option. "Yes." He nervously waited for her response.

She didn't answer right away and Fred wondered if she was putting just as much thought into this as he had. They didn't often talk about such serious topics. Fred wondered why they were talking about this at all. They were only thirteen and the idea of having children seemed miles ahead of them. Then again, she always seemed to be thinking ahead. Early on in their training she'd talked about dying in combat and when they'd been twelve she'd asked John when he was going to propose to Kelly. Both had resulted in a very confused and awkward moment.

"Biological or adopted?" It took Fred a few seconds to realize what she meant. She was asking if he wanted to adopt kids or have them naturally.

The question brought up thoughts of a particular activity that he'd been finding more and more interesting to do with her since she'd started developing and his hormones had kicked in. Fred blushed and was glad she couldn't see it. Her teasing him would ruin the situation. He had no idea how to answer the question. He'd never really thought about the ways to have kids, just knew he wanted them. "Either." As long as he had kids and she was their mother that was all he really wanted. He swallowed his fear and asked his own question. "Why are you asking, Kathleen?"

She moved to be straddling him. He couldn't help his eyes roaming over her body. He couldn't tell if it was because of his hormones or because of the curves that seem to be increasing each time he looked at her. She put her hands on the ground beside his head and leaned over him. "Because life is short, even more so for a soldier." Fred wanted to question that but all thought dissolved as her lips locked with his.


	70. A promise

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: A promise**

Kelly stared up at the sky, watching as the clouds passed by. They had spent the last couple days on the island, after making it so that Mendez's men couldn't get to them. Since there was no real threat the trainees were using it as a chance to relax a bit. This was why Kelly was laying in the grass along the edge of the lake. "I think that one looks like a rabbit." She pointed toward one of the clouds.

John moved his head over a bit so that he could get a better view of where he was pointing. "That definitely looks like a goat." He pointed to a cloud a bit to the right. "That one looks more like a rabbit."

"Do you even know what a rabbit looks like? That is totally a whale." Kelly pushed his head a bit away from her. She turned toward him and was surprised to find his face close to his. At thirteen it was hard to ignore the hormones that reacted to how close he was. She was going to say more but it was lost as they lay in the sun just staring at each other.

John turned so that he was lying on his side and Kelly did the same. "You know these days have been nice. It's not often that we get a chance to be relaxed like this." He reached out and his hand ran lightly over her arm. "You know I think I could live like this." Kelly raised an eyebrow. "I mean a peaceful life like this, with you." He smiled at her and moved close enough that his forehead rested against hers. "One of these days, Kelly, I promise I'm going to marry you."

Kelly sat up and John frowned at her in confusion. "I wish you'd stop making promises that you can't keep." John sat up and gave her a confused look. "You make promises to me all the time. You don't keep them, or I know that you can't keep them."

John frowned at her. "I keep my promises." He crossed his arms. "When have I not kept my promise?"

Kelly leaned a bit toward him. "When you promised that we wouldn't lose to green team last time, or how about the last time you promised that you'd figure out Mendez's exercise and you didn't. How about when you promised you'd sneak out with me. You didn't and I had to take Jorge with me."

"You took Jorge with you?" John looked at her, an expression of surprise and hurt on his face.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "You're missing the point. I'm trying to point out you always make promises and never keep them. Am I even the first girl you've promised you'd marry?"

John thought about it for a moment and then looked away from her. "No, but I was just a stupid kid when I made that promise. I really mean it this time."

Kelly looked furious for a moment before she turned away from him. "I should have known." John tried to reach out to her but she pushed his hand off of her arm. "It doesn't matter anyway. You know that we can't get married, neither of us can. We're going to be soldiers for the rest of our lives. We can't be married. You need to stop making promises."

John looked down for a moment. He suddenly sat up a bit taller and she looked at him confused. "You're right, I do make too many promises that I can't keep. I swear from this moment on that I will not make a promise unless I am sure that I can keep it, and once I make a promise, I'll do whatever it takes to follow through with it." He reached out, and put his hand on the side of her face. "And with that new policy I'm am promising you now, that if I can find a way, if ever there is a chance, I am going to marry you."

Kelly wanted to tell him he was making promises he couldn't keep again. She didn't, because the look in his eyes told her that he really meant it. Kelly's hands moved to the back of his head and pulled him a bit closer. "You better keep that promise." She pulled him to her, kissing him.

John returned it and the next thing Kelly knew she was pinned down to the ground. He pulled away and smiled. "Now, to get you back for saying I can't keep promises." His hands went to work, moving over her sides and Kelly started to laugh as he tickled her.


	71. All I need

**Pairing: Emile/Jorge**

**Title: All I need**

Emile was trying to figure any way out of the corner he'd painted himself into. Karri stood before him, arms crossed with a triumphant smile on her face. She knew that he had him and he didn't have a way out of it. It wasn't uncommon for her to do this. She was just better than him at conversation and she knew how to control him. They'd been talking about some mundane thing and somehow she'd turned the subject to the two of them.

He was attempting to just forget about it but she made it obvious that she wasn't going to. "What do you want me to say?" He crossed his arms over his chest, though that was still a bit odd in their new armor. He was still getting used to the size and shape of it.

"I want you to just answer the question." She leaned a bit closer to him. "If I was a man would it matter?" She really wasn't going to let this go.

Emile shrugged. "I don't see what gender has to do with anything. I mean, as long as you're you what does the package that you come in matter?"

Karri leaned back against a rock, looking down at her helmet. "So if what gender I am doesn't matter then why won't you admit what's obvious?"

Emile cursed. This was what he'd expected to happen and had been trying to avoid. She knew the rules, that if they were to admit what they both knew then they could get separated and never see each other again. He watched her as she stared down at the carved face of her helmet. "Fine, I'll say it. You're all I know and all I need to know."

Karri tilted her head to the side. "Is that your way of admitting it?" Emile looked away from her and she smirked. "I'll take that as a yes. Well you're all I know and all I'll ever know."

Emile stopped to be standing before Jorge. His helmet was hanging in his hands and he felt like putting it on, shielding himself. Jorge looked up at him, confused as the action was out of the ordinary. It usually took arguing or persuading to get him to take it off.

Jorge put aside is boots which he'd been polishing. He looked confused and just waited for Emile to spoke. Finally the violent Spartan found his voice. "You're all I know and all I need to know." He was sure that to Jorge those words would be confusing. He didn't know where they'd come from and he wasn't sure if he'd understand. He had to say it, since it was his way of admitting it without admitting it.

Jorge smiled and he stood up. Emile had to look up at him to keep eye contact. Jorge leaned down and rather than recoil from the kiss he returned it. Jorge took advantage of the unusual openness and pulled Emile against him as he deepened the kiss.

Jorge was the first to pull away, but only a few inches. "You're all I know and all I'll ever need to know." He placed a quick kiss on Emile's lips. "Merry Christmas, Emile."

"Merry Christmas, big man." Emile took a step away from Jorge and he let him go. Jorge sat back down on his cot and after a moment of hesitation Emile sat down beside him. They sat in silence as Emile stared down at his helmet and Jorge polished his boots.


	72. Relax

**Paring: John/Kelly**

**Title: Relax **

John felt uncomfortable as he tugged at her hem off his uniform, trying to straighten the cloth. There were so many people around, and it made him uneasy. Today had started out as a ceremony, awarding metals to his team for feats that felt like they'd happened ages ago. The new metal hung from his left breast, forgotten. It was just one more in a long career. As he saw it, no amount of awards would help them win the war.

"You need to relax." John looked over as Fred moved to his side. He seemed much more at ease then John felt. "There's no fight here, just a party."

"I don't see how having a party like this is a good idea. We need to be in the field, fighting the Covenant." John's gaze traveled over the crowd. "I don't feel comfortable out of armor."

Fred let out a long breath. "Look around at these people. They are relaxed, enjoying themselves. You and I know how bad the war is going. Events like this allow these people to be led to believe things are not that bad. It's all about moral."

John admitted that Fred was right. If the UNSC stopped events like this then civilians would realize how hard they were fighting, that things weren't going smoothly. Right now people needed to have confidence in the UNSC, or humanity might not stand a chance. "That still doesn't help me relax."

Fred smiled a bit. "Maybe they'll help you relax." Fred motioned to Linda and Kelly as they moved toward him and John. It had been quite a while since he'd seen the two women out of armor. They both wore clean pressed uniforms, though Kelly looked uncomfortable in the knee length skirt. He was sure she'd requested pants instead but had been denied. Personally he thought she looked better in the skirt, but he'd never let her know that.

"How are you two enjoying the evening?" Fred asked once the women reached them.

"I think this is the more boring than listening to a lecture about slip-space theory." The edge of Kelly's lips tugged down, a show of how unhappy she was at the moment. "At least we're better off then Will. A captain caught him and is telling him stories of naval battles."

Fred sighed. A Captain telling war stories was like torture to a Spartan. It was like slowly being bored to death. "I'll go rescue him." He moved off to find Will and the Captain to try to save the Spartan from possibly killing the Captain to get away.

Kelly moved over to stand at John's side. "Are you enjoying the evening?" John frowned a bit. She was teasing him, and he wasn't in the mood at the moment to be teased.

Linda glanced over at Kelly and John could swear the two women had a silent conversation in a fraction of a second. He had to guess it was some woman thing. He often found that the female Spartans seemed to have a separate set of signals and language that they used with each other. "I'm going to go see if that Lieutenant that's been watching me all night has the guts to talk to me." With that Linda left them.

"You need to try to relax." Kelly looked out at the crowd. "You're as rigged as if we were waiting for inspection by Chief Mendez." John tried to ignore her teasing. "It's a party, don't be so serious."

"I can't help it." John glanced over at Kelly. Her hair was freshly cut and she looked beautiful in her uniform. The cloth conformed to her body. Campaign ribbons covered a part of her left breast. It was almost identical to the ones on his own uniform. It reminded him that she'd always been at his side, his blue two. Even now as they stood at this party she was by his side.

"Why not?" Kelly raised an eyebrow just a bit. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed, but it was obvious to John.

"I just keep seeing threats. All the staff that's serving food and drinks. Every one of them could be a threat." John eyed the staff as they moved around. Looking around made him realize how many people were staring at them, or rather how many were staring at Kelly. He fought the urge to put an arm around her waist; making it known she was taken. "I don't like this crowd either."

Kelly motioned for him to follow her. John did, not questioning where she was taking him. Anywhere was better than the party. He followed her through empty hallways to a large room that was vacant of people. On one side a large screen showed the planet below.

"Why'd you bring me here?" John looked around the room. There was nothing here, though the music from the other room echoed from the speakers overhead.

"To get you away from all of that." Kelly motioned toward the party. "You may not be able to relax around that, but I know that you can with me." Kelly moved over to one of the chairs and sat down. John sat down across from her. "Relaxed yet?"

John shook his head as he studied the woman across form him. He could see the scars that combat had left on her over the years. Each a memory of the life and death situations they had faced together. Kelly sat comfortable, feeling no need to be proper around him. She looked confident, just the way she's always been. He remembered that second day of training when she'd threatened him. These days he was fairly sure she was the only woman that would threaten him. John couldn't keep his gaze from dropping as she crossed her legs and tried to tug down the fabric though it refused to cover her legs.

"I hate these damn things." Kelly scowled, still tugging at the cloth. He could see a slight blush on her cheeks. "I flash the room every time I cross my legs."

John's gaze traveled over her legs before rising back up to her face. "I don't mind you flashing me. It's not like I didn't see what's under that uniform when we showered earlier." Kelly blushed deeper. "And I like the skirt."

Kelly smirked a bit. "Oh, you like it do you?" John nodded. "Well I honestly don't mind flashing you. It's all the other men I mind."

John frowned. He hadn't thought of that. He hadn't even liked guys looking at her at the party. The idea of any of them being flashed by her sickened him a bit. "I'll see that you get a pair of pants for your uniform."

Kelly sat up, triumphant. "Thank you, and I promise to only wear this," she motioned to the skirt, "For you."

John smiled softly. He stood and moved across the space to stand before Kelly. She frowned, confused by the actions. "I'm relaxed."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "And now you're propositioning me?" She didn't seem to believe it was something he would actually do.

John didn't understand what she meant. He held out a hand. "I am asking you for a dance."

Kelly looked disappointed. "Oh, that's not as dirty as I thought you were suggesting." She reached out and took his hand before she stood. "I'd love a dance."

John led her to the open area of the room and they took their places. He put his hands on her waist as she put hers on his shoulder. They started to move with the music. John had to admit that he'd never been his relaxed. He'd never really gotten to have a peaceful moment with Kelly like this since the war had started. Kelly leaned forward, letting her head rest on his chest. John closed his eyes and just enjoyed the moment.

They danced for what felt like hours until the music finally finished. They stood in the empty room for several minutes after the last song, not willing to break apart. There was a flash and a click and the two Spartans turned to see Linda standing with a camera.

Linda was grinning and walked off toward Fred who was standing in the hall. "I got out Christmas card for this year." A slightly evil smirk crossed her lips.


	73. Inspection

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: inspection**

**Note: This is dedicated to InEnemyTerritory who made a first attempt at romance with a Carter/Kat story. IET allowed me to use the general idea of the story to use in this story. Hope you all enjoy. **

Carter went down the list. Jorge, A. Emile, B due to his sheets being a bit dirty. Jun, A. Himself, A. Now he stood before the final cot, not believing what he was looking at. The sheets were perfect, not a spot of dirt on them and perfectly made. Something was very wrong. He looked around the barracks, trying to find any signs of how she might have cheated. That was when it struck him; she hadn't slept in the bed in the last three days.

Carter left the barracks moving down the hallways to his destination. He didn't bother knocking, just opened the door and walked in. This was a bit more like what he had expected, though not as much. Her cot in this room was still perfectly made, not a single sign that she had been using it, but her work bench was covered in equipment. She sat, bent over whatever she was currently working on.

Carter frowned as he realized she didn't even look up, or acknowledge that he had arrived. He thought about the situation and then decided he couldn't count the work bench as her space. He marked down an A after her name and then moved up behind her. "You've broken your streak."

Kat jumped a bit, turning around quickly. "Carter, I didn't hear you come in. What do you mean my streak?" She set aside what she was working on.

"You've passed inspection. Every time I do one your cot is usually a mess, you haven't made your sheets and you haven't gotten them cleaned. By the way, would you get them cleaned? You keep giving me yours and I'm not a fan of sleeping under a dirty blanket." Carter moved over to lean against the bench.

"You know you've been pestering me about that for years, and I've never done it. Why would I start now?" Kat turned toward him, leaning against the bench and crossing her arms.

Carter let his gaze quickly look her over, as he often did when she gave him a better view. "You could do it as a favor for your…What is the word that we want to use?"

Kat frowned as she thought about that. "Boyfriend doesn't seem to sound right." Her voice became a bit lower and she reached out toward him, her hand grabbing his belt and pulling him closer to her. "I guess we can just go with the title of lover."

Carter willingly let her pull him closer. "Since we are only using the term with just us, I can agree to that. But it's still Commander, Carter, or boss with the team." His hand moved to her leg, his other hand went to her waist, pulling her closer.

"I guess I can agree to that." Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed herself against him. "So then I got an A on my inspection?" Carter nodded his head, leaning forward so that his forehead rested against Kat's. "Well that just won't do. I have a reputation to keep." A smirk spread over her face. "Maybe you and I can do something to lower my grade." She quickly moved away from him, her hands grabbing his shirt and pulling him with her to her cot.


	74. Happy Birthday

**Pairing: Kathleen/Fred  
**

**Title: Happy Birthday**

Kathleen was awake before the person reached her cot. Her fingers slowly curled to grip the knife under her pillow. The person didn't seem hostile so she decided to wait to see what the person would do. She felt lips press against her bare shoulder and she only had one guess as to who it was. "Go back to sleep, Will. I already told you no." She was sure to keep her voice quiet enough that she wouldn't wake any of the other Spartan trainees.

Lips brushed over her ear before he spoke. "Does Will often come to you in the night and kiss your shoulder?" Kathleen was surprised to find it wasn't the voice she'd expected. She looked to the source and stared into Fred's slightly annoyed gaze. He was sitting on the cot beside her, leaning over so his face was only centimeters from hers.

Kathleen replied in her usual way, not ever thinking. She put up her automatic defense and teased him. "I should have known it was you. It's not usually my shoulder." Fred's gaze became more annoyed at the comment. Kathleen really needed to teach him how to tell when she was teasing him. "What do you want, Fred?" She was annoyed and her voice made it obvious. She'd been having a good dream. She couldn't remember what it had been about but she knew it had been good.

She felt Fred's hand move over her arm, taking her hand. "I want to take you somewhere." Kathleen was surprised by the words. She was always the one that had to force him out of bed in the night to have some fun, not the other way around. She slipped on some shoes, deciding that her pajamas would be enough. She let him pull her out of the barracks.

Fred led her off of the base and ordered her to close her eyes. She fought him but he refused to take her further until she complied. She was curious now. She wanted to know where he planned on taking her. Reluctantly she closed her eyes and let him led her by the hand as she blindly followed. It was several minutes before they finally stopped.

Kathleen felt his hands settle on her shoulder and guide her to an exact spot. She was fascinated and annoyed with how his grip was just firm enough to guide her but gentle at the same time. Gentle was something she struggled with. She'd always been a violent child, and she was growing into a violent woman. Fred, on the other hand, always made gentle look so simple. He could be violent, Kathleen had seen him be as violent as any other trainee, but he was only that way in combat. She sometimes resented that he could turn off the violent part of him when she struggled with it. She was more annoyed by it than the knowledge that Fred wasn't living up to his potential.

Kathleen took a deep breath through her nose, hoping that the smells around her would give her a hint as to where they were. She could smell grass and trees, and could hear the calls of frogs. She guessed they were near a lake in the forest. She started to calculate how far they could have gone at their slow pace. Her train of thought was cut off as the hands were removed from her shoulders, becoming arms wrapped around her waist, and was pulled toward a warm chest. Kathleen couldn't stop herself from leaning back against him. Fred's chin rested on her shoulder and all she could smell was him. Funny, she'd never really thought of Fred as having a scent.

"All right, open your eyes." Kathleen did as Fred instructed but was confused at the sight. They stood at the edge of a lake, but it was a lake they'd been to many times before. Kathleen turned her head to look at Fred. He was grinning like an idiot. "What do you think?"

Kathleen frowned a bit. "Honestly, I was expecting more. I mean, we've been to this lake plenty of times." She had to admit she was disappointed with his choice of destination.

"We've only just reached the destination. I haven't even shown you why it's our destination." Kathleen was surprised as Fred pulled her night shirt up, over her head. The night air chilled her skin and she shivered. There was movement behind her and a second later the warmth of Fred's bare chest pressed against her back.

It wasn't normal for Fred to be this forward with her. He usually beat around the bush and hesitated from actually doing anything. The change in Fred's approach made her suspicious but his being so assertive intrigued her. She wondered what had brought up the change. Maybe he'd started listening to Will. Her train of thought was derailed as his hand gripped the waist of her pants and pulled them down. She felt movement behind her and heard his own pants fall.

"This is not at all your style." Kathleen looked back to see Fred stepping out of his boots and pants. Kathleen looked him over, taking in the sight of the slightly awkward teenager. "What if I say no?" Her face was cold and serious, but his was the picture of confusion.

"Why would you say no?" It was a good question and Kathleen had no idea how to answer. She couldn't come up with a good reason. Since she didn't voice an argument he grinned. "I knew you wouldn't say no."

Kathleen frowned, hating that he had the upper hand on her. "Never said I was going to say no. Only asked what if I did." She determined the best course of action to remove the grin from his face and took action. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she brought their lips together. It took Fred a fraction of a second before he returned the kiss, hands grabbing her waist and pulling her to him. Kathleen's feet pushed against the ground, forcing Fred to lose his balance. They broke the kiss long enough for them to hit the ground before Kathleen reclaimed his mouth.

The two teen intertwined on the grassy shore until Fred switched their positions. He broke away from her mouth, gasping for air. "Wait…this isn't…why I brought you…here." He sucked in air between his words.

Kathleen frowned, disappointed. She'd been hoping this was why they'd come here. "So you didn't bring me here so our first time could be at the same place you first told me you loved me?" She'd thought it was a good guess. It was along the lines of the sort of sentimental thing he would do, and he'd been undressing her.

Fred stared down at her, stunned. "That was an option?" She rolled her eyes. Sometimes he missed the obvious signs she gave him, like the way she'd been more open for affection with him. "I didn't know you were ready. Forget what I had planned, let's do that."

Fred leaned down to continue their make-out session but Kathleen stopped him. "Sorry, it was a limited time offer and it expired." Fred pouted and Kathleen had to look away. Damn him and his puppy dog eyes. "So what did you have planned?"

Fred paused, seeming to decide to press it further or just move on. He decided and finally stood up. Kathleen followed him, waiting to see what he would do. He quickly pulled her to him and before she could stop him he'd pulled them both down into the water of the lake. She struggled in his arms but held on tight. She finally realized that he was pointing and spotted what he was trying to point out. There was a bit of light in a place that seemed to be back under the shore.

Kathleen and Fred swam toward the light. When they reached it Kathleen broke the surface, finding that they were in a small cave that could only be reached through the water. Kathleen looked around and frowned. "I didn't know this was here."

"Neither did I." Fred grinned as he moved over to the edge of the water. "You remember that training exercise where that warthog was chasing me?" Kathleen nodded. "Well I got away by hiding in here. I just happened to see this light and used it to shelter me." He motioned for her to join her over by the shore. He motioned to the source of the lights.

Kathleen looked at the source and was surprised to realize that it was a collection of flowers that lined the dry area. They had simple light blue petals that seemed to glow in the dark. "I've never seen anything like them."

"Neither had I. But I looked into them when I got back to the base. Turns out they are really rare and called Queen of the Night." He grinned at her. "They remind me of you." Kathleen frowned, not understanding. "They glow the best in the dark, and they hide their beauty away where no one can see it." Kathleen's frown deepened. "That and this." Fred grabbed one of the small bugs that were crawling around the underwater cave. He picked it up and dropped it onto the center of one of the flowers. The glowing petals snapped shut in a flash and the bug was trapped. "See, beautiful but deadly."

Kathleen moved closer to the flower to watch it. She could see it shift a bit as the bug tried to fight back but the petals held strong. "Wow, a flower that's actually cool." She turned to Fred just as he plucked one of the illumines flowers and slid it between her head and ear.

Fred's hand moved to her chin and he pulled her close enough to kiss her gently. He stayed close, smiling softly at her. "Happy Birthday, Kathleen."

Kathleen put her hand over the flower and dove down under the water. She swam back up to the surface and pulled herself onto the shore. Fred was right behind her and they both lay on the grass. She looked to Fred. "Is it all right?" She shifted the flower, unable to see it.

Fred nodded. "It's even still sort of glowing." Fred moved over to lay right beside her and she turned on her side to face him. "So, how'd I do?"

Kathleen moved to lean over him. "You did better than I expected." She brought their lips together, kissing him deeply, tongue forcing its way into his mouth. They finally broke apart and Kathleen grinned. "You did well enough maybe we should go with what I thought you'd had planned." Fred looked at her surprised and she leaned down so she was only millimeters away from his face. "Why don't you deflower me?"

Fred frowned. "I thought you liked the flower."

Kathleen groaned. "Shut up and kiss me." She secured her lips to his as she moved to straddle him.

Kathleen stared down at the single glowing flower. "I've never seen anything like it." Emily peered closer to it, seeming to be fascinated by the plant. She'd even taken off her helmet to get a closer look. "What is it?"

"It's called Queen of the Night. It's a rare flower that only grows in the dark where not many creatures live." The soldiers looked to Kathleen, seeming to be surprised by her knowledge of it. Kathleen looked to Edward and made a slight motion toward Emily and the flower.

Edward got the hint and he moved over. He carefully plucked the flower and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled at him but his emotions were hidden behind the faceplate of his helmet. Kathleen looked at the two soldiers and wondered if she and Fred had ever looked like that. Emily smiled at Edward and the other soldiers moved away, knowing to leave them alone.

Kathleen looked away as well, letting them have their privacy. She looked into the darkness of the cave, only the outlines made by her VISR system to tell her that it was anything other than all-consuming darkness. She shut off her COMs and let herself remember all those years ago. "Those were the days."

Fred smiled as he looked at the information on the screen. He usually did a search for it this time of year, this day. He stared at the screen, and the picture of the glowing flower. He let himself remember that night, that wonderful time that they spent together. He missed her, but those memories made him happy, even if they did hurt him in the long run. "Happy birthday, Kathleen." He shut off the screen and stood up, needing to get back to work.


	75. You're still alive?

**Pairing: Fred-104/Kathleen-113**

**Title: You're alive?**

Fred moved down the hallway, reading what little data he had on his datapad. The Spartan IIs, IIIs, and their families are going to a celebration of the end of the Human-Covenant War. Fred was meeting with the leader of the ODST who were supposed to be their security. Fred had looked up information on the team, wanting to feel secure under their guard, but found very little actual information. Most of the files were blacked out. From what he could tell there were twelve soldier, their leader a Sergeant Major. On most of the personnel files only name and rank weren't blacked out but on their leader's file even the name was classified. It all had unnerved Fred so he'd set up a meeting with the Sergeant Major to hopefully get some piece of mind.

Fred had decided to wear his uniform to the meeting, complete with campaign ribbons across his chest. He hoped it would give him enough of an authority look that he'd be able to get some answers. It seemed that often ODST didn't respect him as a Spartan, but they respected his rank. Hopefully it would do him some good here.

Fred entered the room but stopped as he saw the Sergeant. The other soldier stood, back facing Fred. The Sergeant didn't seem to notice his arrival, still watching the screen what showed a news report. Fred had to admit that the Sergeant Major was nothing like what he was expecting. First, it was a woman. Fred had met many respectable female leaders in his life but somehow he had still been expecting a man. Second, she was undoubtedly a Spartan. At seven feet in height the Sergeant Major had a strong, confident aura to her stance. Third, she wore simple fatigue pants and a tank top. For a meeting with an officer it was odd she hadn't even gotten out her uniform. Fred could see a large scar from plasma burns that spread along her back. There were cuts all over her arms and he could see a few scars from surgery.

"Uniforms don't intimidate me." The Sergeant didn't turn away from the screen. Her words were just as confident as her stance and there was something about her voice that was so familiar to Fred. He just couldn't place where he'd heard it before.

He moved more into the room, stopping a bit away from her. He examined the scars trying to tell how old they were. Some were old enough that they were starting to fade while a few were not all that old. "How'd you know I was in uniform?"

"Dress shoes make a different sound." Her voice was so flat and lacking emotion Fred found it hard to tell if she was bored by him or just trying to be uncaring. "Why did you call me to meet you, _Lieutenant_?" She spoke his rank like it was an insult or she just couldn't believe it was his rank.

Fred ignored his growing annoyance with the woman. "Your team is going to be security for an upcoming Spartan trip. I wanted to be sure that your soldiers were capable of the task but your files are a rather short and uninformative read."

The woman finally turned to Fred and he was stunned as he looked into her cold blue eyes. There was a familiar spark of annoyance in her eyes that he'd seen so many times. He saw the scar ran from her right shoulder down to disappear between her breasts. From the looks of it the scare seemed to have been caused by an energy sword but he couldn't be sure. An ODST insignia stood out on her left breast against the white of her shirt. He couldn't help the stunned look on his face. Here, standing before him, was a ghost from her past, one that still haunted him.

"I assure you that my soldiers are capable." She crossed her arms obviously annoyed and a bit offended that he dared to question her soldiers. "We've been active since before the war started. We've fought rebels, grunts, jackals, brutes, hunters, elites, and the flood. Is that satisfactory?"

Fred wasn't really listening to what she was saying. He couldn't believe it was her. He stood, speechless as he looked her over. A fist hit his shoulder and he gripped where she'd hit him. "What was that for?"

"That was for staring at my body. Honestly, Fredric, I never pegged you for a pervert." She had a stiff stance, like she was bracing herself for retaliation.

Fred couldn't help the smile on his face. "I'm only perverted for you, Kathleen." She relaxed a bit and for a moment a smile tugged at her lips. It was odd to him, like she was relieved that he remembered her. He pulled her to him and hugged her against his chest. She was stiff in his arm, as though she had no idea what to do.

"All right Lieutenant, you can let me go now." Kathleen tried to move away but Fred held her in place. "Seriously, you know I don't like stuff like this."

Fred only held her closer. "Too bad. It's been too long to wait. Besides, you only dislike it if it's public. This isn't public."

Kathleen slowly relaxed, wrapping her arms around Fred's waist, leaning into him. They stood in silence, just enjoying each other's company. It had been so long since Fred had held her in his arms and he was relishing every moment. He was fairly sure that any moment he was going to wake up and find himself alone again.

Fred buried his face into her short cut blond hair, not at all surprised at how she'd kept it so short. "I love you, Kathleen."

Kathleen pushed away from him with enough force to break out of his hold. He was surprised at how she made it look like no effort at all. Her fist slammed into his shoulder again. It felt like she'd used enough force to bruise the bone.

Fred looked at her, surprised. She'd never gotten this mad about him admitting his love before. He was also pretty sure she'd never hit him that hard either. He just looked at her, trying to ease the pain in his shoulder. "I don't understand. You admitted it. Before the augmentations you said you loved me. Why can't I say it?" He refused to believe that she'd changed her mind about loving him.

"That was years ago." Kathleen moved away from him, sitting on the couch in the middle of the room. There was a hint of something Fred hadn't heard in her voice. He could only guess it was regret or fear. Both emotions he wasn't sure if she could feel.

Fred watched her move, letting her words sink in. He was finding it hard to understand what she meant. Maybe he'd been away from her long enough that he no longer understood her. When he realized what she meant he felt like a fool. He sat down on the couch as well and sat in silence, waiting for her to speak.

"When I was split from the Spartans…" Kathleen seemed to struggle to figure out what she was allowed to say. "To you I died, clean cut until today. For years you had my memory and the closure of knowing that I was dead. For years you thought I was dead and shot into space." Fred didn't understand what the point of this was. "It wasn't the same for me. After every big battle I had the uncertainty of if you were alive or not. You vanished so many times and I eventually just got tired of that worry. I've lost a lot in the past and I'm tired of it, so I separated myself from the Spartans. I was never even one of you anyway, but that meant cutting myself off from you and the other Spartans emotionally. Now you just want to walk back into my life, bring all of that back up."

"But I'm not going anywhere, Kathleen. I'm here now and I'm not going to be leaving you." Kathleen gave him a so familiar look that told him she didn't believe him. "The Spartans don't go into combat. There's no way I'm going to die on you other than old age."

Kathleen stared at him as she thought it over. He could almost see her weighing the pros and cons of accepting him back into her life. "You know we're still active." Fred frowned, not sure who 'we' was in that sentence. "My team is still often in combat. Could you handle it? Could you handle not knowing if I was going to come back or not? That each time I leave you might never see me again?"

Fred shrugged. "I've made it through all the war, nearly got killed on Reach. I'm used to the idea of the people around me dying. I'd rather have whatever time I can get with you." His hand reached over, settling on hers. "I never thought I'd get another moment with you, so I'll take whatever fate will give me and willingly accept the risk of the pain that it may cause me."

Kathleen stared down at his hand. "All these years and you're still just as soft." She looked up to him and he could see that she was more at ease.

"Only when it comes to you, Kathleen. I have become a bit tougher over the years." His hands moved to her waist, pulling her to him. The action visibly surprised her. He hadn't been this forward when they were trainees.

Kathleen smiled as she easily settled against him, allowing him to pull her against him with ease. "Well that's good. Glad to know your balls finally dropped and that spine of yours grew in." Her hands moved up his body allowing her arms to wrap around his neck. There was still something so intimidating about the woman in his arms and he had an odd feeling that if he ever tried to challenge her she'd not even find him a challenge. "I don't want to be the man in the relationship."

Fred smirked at her tease. "Oh, I assure you I will be the man in this relationship." He kept her from continuing to tease him by pressing his lisp against hers.

They broke apart and Fred kept her against him. She'd already proven she had enough strength to break out of his grip but she leaned into him, pushing him back on the couch and settling in on his chest.

"You know I have more appointments today?" Fred tried to sit up but Kathleen didn't allow him to. "You need to let me up, Marine. That's an order."

Kathleen looked up at him and huffed. "Since when do I listen to your orders?" She gripped him a bit tighter and snuggled into his chest.

Fred raised an eyebrow at her. "You never used to be this affectionate."

"I've been through enough, Fred. I know what I want and I sure as hell am not going to let anything stand in my way." Kathleen sat up a bit. "Do you have your own quarters?"

Fred didn't connect the dots right away. "Yeah, I'm an officer of course I do." He then realized what she was getting at.

Kathleen stood up and dragged Fred to his feet, pulling him out of the room.


	76. Mistletoe

Mistletoe

Kathleen was glad to finally be back on base. She didn't mind being around the elites but when they'd heard about the holidays they hadn't stopped asking her questions. She'd finally gotten out of her armor. It felt good to finally be back in a place that she didn't have to wear armor constantly.

She'd just left the laboratories and found herself facing a very familiar chest. She looked up a bit at the grinning Lieutenant. "What are you so cheerful about?" She smirked as she took a step closer.

"This will be the first Christmas together." Fred's hand moved to her side, pulling her a bit closer.

Kathleen frowned at him. "I don't want to hear anything about the holidays. I just spent the last week answering every split-lip's question about human holidays." She let out a groan. "I don't know how many times I repeated that good will crap they shove down our throats this time of year."

"Come on, Kathleen. Get in the spirit. The season's to relax, be happy, spend time with the people that you love." His hands moved around her waist to pull her against his chest.

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm not big on the relaxing thing. I'm happy when I'm in the field, killing things." She paused for a moment. "And I do love my team, so I think that means this entire holiday bull is not something that would ever interest me."

Fred's smile softened. "I'm sure that you can relax, Lion Heart." Fred smirked a bit. "I can think of some ways to make you relax."

Kathleen smiled a bit at his teasing. "I swear you are just trying to come up with new ways to get around my rule against calling me Kat." She set her hand on his chest and leaned into him.

"I have to fill my time with something." Fred's smile widened a bit. "Besides, I can think of one part of the holidays that you'll like." Fred looked up and Kathleen did as well. She noticed the piece of plant that he held over their heads.

Kathleen reached up, running a finger over his chin. "You always seem to have the same thing on your mind when I get back from a mission."

Fred leaned a bit closer to her, so their noses were almost touching. "You've got a problem with that?"

A slight blush spread over Kathleen's cheek. "Never said I was complaining, or that the same thing wasn't on my mind."

Fred closed the distance between them, bringing their lips together. Kathleen's arms wrapped around his neck, pulling them as close as she could. They finally broke apart but she still held herself close. Fred rested his forehead against hers.

"Not to mention I think I got you a gift that you'll really like." Fred grinned, rather excited to see what she thought of her gift.

Kathleen frowned. "Now you're making me feel bad. I didn't get you anything."

Fred pulled her tighter against him and she absently reached up, running her fingers through his silver and black hair. "You did get me something, Kathleen." She looked at him confused. "You came home in one piece. That's more than I could ask for."

Kathleen's fist lightly hit his shoulder. "That was so corny, Fredric. I'm only letting you off easy because it's the holidays."

Fred chuckled as his hands moved to her waist. "Are you sure it's not because I'm adorable and you love me."

Kathleen pretended to think about it. "Nope, can't be for those reasons." She slipped out of his hold and moved down the hallway. Fred ignored the denial, knowing she was only saying it to tease him. He took off down the hallway after her.


	77. A visit

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: A visit**

* * *

John set the mug down on the table and sat down in the chair across from his guest. He sat up straight, unable to push down the reflex. When he'd arrived John had fought the urge to salute the man. He was a higher rank than his guest, sure, but he held so much respect for the man that he felt he needed to do it. He was at a loss for words, not sure how to start a conversation.

He was just as John always remembered him. Strong, professional even in a personal situation. He was the one thing that never seemed to change. Over the years Doctor Halsey had become softer, less of the woman who was willing to do anything as she had been when the Spartan II program had started. The band of silver hair around his head had spread to most of his hair though there were a few black hairs left. He wore a simple duty uniform, his chest vacant of the many ribbons that were usually there. John could see that the years had taken some toll on him. There were wrinkles where there hadn't been in the past. Still, he looked fit, strong, as John always thought he would be.

"How is Kelly?" His words snapped John out of his thoughts. "I heard that ONI was officially employing her to test out all of the new equipment."

John nodded. "Yeah, it kept her busy. She needed something to do while the kids were in school. I got lucky since I've been helping out with troops but she was getting rather bored with just spending her days alone here with the animals."

A smile tugged at Mendez's lips. "She never struck me as the kind of woman that liked to stand still or be a house wife. She's turned out to be a good mother, though. Seems your kids are turning out all right."

"That's really all thanks to Kelly." John looked down toward his own mug. The coffee sat forgotten. "I don't think I could have handled being a father without her. They would have tired me out, in fact they did. She had the energy to handle them, I didn't."

Mendez picked up his mug and took a sip before putting it back down. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You're a fine father, John."

John couldn't remember having ever heard his name from Mendez. He'd been trainee, squad leader, petty officer, but he couldn't remember every hearing his name from the older man's lips. It gave him a sense of pride. "Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me." He fidgeted for a moment. "If I'm a good father it's only because of you."

Mendez's eyebrow raised a bit. "I put you through hell as a child. How can that have helped you be a good father?"

John smiled just a bit. "Because you always believed in us. I think being a father might actually be the hardest thing I've ever done, even more so then the ark or any of that. It all seems so simple compared to making sure those four come out halfway decent." He stared down at the brown liquid which he hadn't touched. He didn't even know why he'd poured a cup for himself. "You taught me to be strong, to think things through, and tackle every obstacle in my way. You also taught me honor, duty, sacrifice. It's not just what a soldier needs, but what a man needs. I've tried to teach the same things to my sons, though Catherine seems to get it more than Avery does and all I've been trying to do is teach her not to get into fights." John shook his head, pulling himself back to the present. He looked to Mendez. "It's why we took your last name."

"I was wondering about that. Doctor Halsey seemed a bit upset about it. I told her that I did not know why you had chosen my last name." Mendez took another sip of his coffee.

"Well we chose it because you were like a father to us. We both agreed that we saw you in that position and agreed that since you get your last name from your father, Mendez was the best choice." John relaxed a bit. He'd always wanted to tell Mendez that he considered him his father. He couldn't tell how the man had taken the information. Even at this moment he had the same emotionless face. "If it makes the doctor any happier then we can say that Kelly's last name was Halsey. That way we're still all Mendez after marriage."

"I hope that satisfies her." Mendez shifted his mug on the table. "So is that why the four of them keep calling me grandfather."

"I'm going to put the blame for that on Kelly. She's the one that kept telling them you were their grandfather." John smiled a bit more. The front door opened and Catherine came running in. She skidded to a halt and smiled at her father. "What are you so excited about?"

Catherine held up a paper, grinning. "I got a perfect score on my history lesson." She suddenly became a bit ashamed. "And…and then I hit a kid that thought I cheated."

John groaned. "What did I tell you about getting into fights? You can't keep attacking other kids. You're going to turn out like Sam."

"Rather than hitting him," John and Catherine turned to look toward Mendez as he spoke. "Wait until the next time you get into a game of dodge ball or a sport like that and nail him really hard. Harder to tell that you meant to hurt them."

Catherine grinned before she stood up tall, saluting Mendez. It was the same salute she'd been practicing for what felt like forever. "Sir yes, sir." She then moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you, grandpa." She then quickly moved out of the room.

John frowned at Mendez. "Don't encourage that. I don't want to start getting calls about how she's broken kids noses during gym class."

"You'd rather get calls about how she broke a kid's nose with a right hook?" Mendez looked behind John as Jacob moved into the room. The oldest son didn't seem to really care that they were there .He moved into the room and opened the refrigerator. He opened the door and pulled out a bottle of water before closing the door and moved over to the table. "Hello, father, grandfather."

John smiled a bit at his son. "How was school?"

"I managed to keep Sam out of a fight, my presentation for biology went fine, and…Come to think of it you don't need to know that last part." Jacob blushed a bit. "That is all." He nodded to the both of them. "I'm going to go do my homework." He left the room quickly.

They watched as he left and Mendez leaned a bit onto the table. "He is getting to that age, isn't he? The time when he starts to notice girls."

"Well, I was about that age when I started to see Kelly that way." John let out a long groan. "I'm going to have to deal with Sam and Jacob liking girls. Should at least be easier then when Catherine starts to bring home boys."

"You and Kelly though didn't really start until you were thirteen." Mendez shook his head a bit. "I wish you the best of luck with dealing with the boys Catherine brings home."

John looked at him for a moment. "Wait, you knew about Kelly and me when we were thirteen?" He found it hard to believe that Mendez would have known and let it go.

"Yes, I knew, but I'm also not a fan of that particular rule. Soldiers in all fields are allowed to have relationships with one another. It was always in place to protect you, but I didn't think that you needed protection. A lot of people died during the augmentations, you remember how upset Fred was after what happened." John nodded. He remembered how upset he'd been that the girl he liked hadn't survived. "Honestly it's a load of crap. You and Kelly gave your lives to the UNSC, you do the honor of wearing that uniform. Allowing you two to do whatever you want personally seems to be the least we can give you."

John smiled pushing his mug to the side. He wasn't going to drink it. "Well I have to agree with that. Doesn't mean I'm going to let just any guy around my daughter. That is my little girl after all."

"Try not to have too high of hopes. There's no such thing as a perfect man. As long as he loves her, treats her right, and stays out of trouble, that's the most you can hope for him. That's the way you were as a teenager." Mendez leaned back in his chair again. "Wouldn't have let you around Kelly if you were a bad egg."

John chuckled slightly. "See, you are a father." John heard the door open again and he turned to look as Kelly moved into the kitchen. She looked surprised to see them. "You're home early."

Kelly moved over to John and smiled. "Yeah, they sort of burnt up the new weapon I was testing today so I came home early." She turned to Mendez. "I didn't know that you would be visiting today, Chief."

Mendez stood and Kelly hugged him. Hugging Kelly was probably one of the most human things that John had ever seen Mendez doing. When he pulled away he didn't sit back down. "Nothing wrong with a man coming to see his kids and grandkids." Kelly blushed a bit and Mendez looked to John. "Well this was fun, but I think I'll leave you to your family." He nodded to Kelly before he made his way out of the room. Kelly followed him.

John listened to the two of them as they moved through the house, Kelly talking to Mendez about him spending time with his grandchildren. John remained in his seat staring down at the two mugs on the table. It had felt good to see Mendez again. These days he was all over the place, helping to train new soldiers, checking out the training regimen of some bases, or helping to give officers still in the academy a view of what it's like to be a soldier on the ground.

Kelly moved up behind John and set her hands on his shoulder. "So, did you have a nice day?

"I had a good day, and a nice chat." John reached up, putting a hand on one of Kelly's. "I have to say, I've never seen him be so…normal around me."

"John, he's always normal. There's no other way that he can be." She leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek. "But I'm glad you had a good talk." She moved away from him to start to work on making dinner. "Anything else exciting."

John thought for a moment. "Nothing much, just Catherine punching another kid after she got a perfect score on a test. Oh, and I think that our boys are hitting puberty. I think Jacob has a crush on a girl, not sure about Sam."

Kelly sighed. "God help the girls of this base when Sam starts to like girls…Jacob not so much. Though help us all if any of our kids take after you in that department."

John frowned as he stood up. He moved up behind Kelly and put a hand on her waist. "And what does that mean?"

Kelly smirked and looked back at him as John rest his chin on her shoulder. "You know what that means." John smirked and Kelly turned back to her cooking.


	78. Challenge

**Pairing: John/Fred(sort of)**

**Title: Challenge**

* * *

John pulled off his shirt and tossed it into the locker. Today's exercise had been longer than normal and it had left John tired. He looked over as Fred entered and sat down, removing his boots and then putting them into the locker.

"Today was pretty tough." Fred looked over to John. "I almost had you beat during the race." Fred had ended up right behind John in the race, though they'd all come miles behind Kelly as they always did.

"You could have beaten me." John sat down on the bench and removed his own boots before putting them in his locker. "I don't think you put enough effort in. There's nothing wrong with winning every once in a while." John smiled a bit. "Either that or I'm just naturally better at everything than you are."

"You aren't better at everything." Fred frowned at the other male trainee. "I'm better than you at some things."

"Give me one example." John was confident that he couldn't. He knew Fred, he'd beaten him at every physical challenge, every mind game, everything.

Fred hesitated for a moment before he spoke. "Linda says that I'm the best kisser."

John frowned, looking to Fred. "She said the same thing about me."

"Well it can't be true for both of us." Fred removed his shirt and put it away in the locker. "Wait, you've been kissing Linda?"

"Yeah, but it seems I'm not the only one." John frowned, not liking that. "Either way, it doesn't count as apparently Linda lies."

"It does too count. Just because she lied to you doesn't mean that she lied to me." Fred wasn't going to let it pass. He wanted to be good at one thing, wanted to be better than John at one thing.

"Listen, we can't take Linda's word for anything, so we can't say who it is that she lied to." John paused trying to think of a way that they would be able to test which was better. "We'd have to find an impartial judge who can tell us who is better."

"Well we don't really have one of those sitting around." Fred scowled and scratched the back of his neck. "Well I don't' know how we can do it."

John shifted hesitantly. "Well, we could do it like a sparring match." Fred frowned at him confused. John sighed and turned to Fred. "We have only two people in the room who could judge who's better." Fred didn't understand and John seemed to ignore it. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Fred's.

It took Fred a moment once their lips had touched to realize what was going on. They were the only people there and the only ones that could be the judge. They'd have to just outdo each other. Fred returned the kiss and the two of them started their competition.

John's tongue snaked out, forcing its way into Fred's who returned the action. Their tongues fought as they tried to outdo each other's skill. One of Fred's hands had moved to the back of John's neck, pulling him closer. John forced Fred back until the other trainee's back hit the bench below them. His hands were on Fred's sides as he pressed his chest against the man under him.

"I always knew that John would be a top." The two trainees froze in their actions at the voice. They broke the contact between them and looked over to find Kelly, Kathleen, and Linda watching them. "Oh no, don't stop." Kathleen waved at them, readjusting her video recorder. "Just pretend that we're not here."

"You have to give me a copy of that." Kelly grinned beside the blond haired trainee. "I am so glad you had that thing on you."

John quickly got off of Fred and moved several feet down the bench from him. "No, no, get back up close." Kathleen tried to physically force the two of them back together. "Come on, I didn't get any good shots from the side. Fred, you get on top this time."

Fred glanced toward John. "She'd work." John paused and then nodded. With that Fred turned to Kathleen and pulled her to him. Their lips collided and Fred pulled her closer to him as his tongue invaded her mouth. After five seconds he broke away from her and she stood, angry at him. Fred ignored her, turning to John. "Beat that."

The squad leader took the challenge, standing up and moving to Kathleen. She was just about to tell him off when John's hands cupped her face and his lips met hers. The kiss started out gentler and John's tongue slid into her mouth without much fight. He too pulled away after five seconds.

Kathleen looked between the two trainees and then back to the other two women. "So who was better?" Fred finally asked.

Kathleen frowned at the both of them. "Will." With that she turned and led the women out of the locker room.

John stared at the door that they'd gone through and then looked back to Fred whose head was now resting against his locker. John sat down beside him and stared at the metal in front of him. John decided to leave him be and instead finished undressing to take his shower.


	79. Double Date

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Fred/Kathleen**

**Title: Double Date**

* * *

Fred rolled over on his bed and opened his eyes. He sighed as he found the space beside him empty. He was hoping that he'd get to stop waking up alone after he'd renewed his relationship with Kathleen. Still, she got up in the morning earlier then he did or she was off on missions so he still woke up alone. At least when she was on base she came back after her exercise.

He sat up in bed, deciding that he might as well make eggs for himself and some extra for Kathleen so she'd have something to eat when she got back. He was enjoying her being on base, and so far as they knew she'd be there for a full week more. That was enough to get him up and out of bed.

He'd gotten fully dressed by the time he'd smelled the food. It was a surprise, as he was sure that Kathleen couldn't cook. Fred made his way through his home to the kitchen where he was surprised to find Kelly at the stove. "What are you doing here?"

Kelly looked back at him, smiling. "I'm making you breakfast." She turned to the side and slid some scrambled eggs onto a plate. Fred moved over to stand next to her, frowning in confusion. She looked at him and frowned. "What?"

"Why are you making me breakfast?" Fred moved to the table and sat down. "Does John know that you're here? I mean, if my wife had gone off to make breakfast for a man she used to date I think I wouldn't be happy."

"He knows I'm here." Kelly put the plate on the table before him. "So how have things been going with this female friend of yours?"

Fred hesitated. Kelly had been trying to get Fred to tell her about his girlfriend since she'd found out he had one. Kathleen had wanted to keep things low key so he hadn't told her anything. "Things are going well."

Kelly grinned. "I'm glad to hear that." She paused for a moment before she leaned forward. "So, what do you say to you and your lady friend joining me and John for a Valentine 's Day double date?"

Fred stared over at her. "Well, I'll could propose it to her, but I don't I don't know if she'll go with it. Why us? Why not Tom and Lucy?"

"They already have plans. Come on Fred. I want to meet her anyway. You can't keep her away from us forever." Kelly sat down in the chair on the other side of the table. "Please, Fred."

Fred sighed. "I'll ask her, and I'll call you later to tell you what she says."

Kelly smiled and stood. "Thank you, Fred." She moved over and pecked his forehead. "I'll hear from you later." With that she left the house, leaving Fred to stare down at the eggs, trying to decide if he should eat them.

The back door opened and Kathleen moved in, wiping the sweat from her brow. She spotted the eggs and moved to stand behind him. "Couldn't make some eggs for me?"

Fred looked back at her smiling. "Actually these eggs are for you. I was just waiting for you to come home." He looked at the eggs then back up to her, not smiling any more. "So…Kelly wants us to go on a double date with her and John."

Kathleen frowned. "I told you I didn't want you to tell any of the Spartans." She reached past him and grabbed the plate of eggs off of the table. She sat down in the chair to Fred's right and started to eat the eggs.

"I didn't tell her. She just knows that I'm seeing someone and wants another pair for her Valentine 's Day date." Fred leaned forward onto the table. "Come on, Kathleen. You can't hide from them forever. It will be fun."

Kathleen sat in silence as she ate her eggs as she contemplated what he was proposing. When she finished Kathleen stood up and moved over to Fred. He watched as she leaned down to his level. "I'll go if you ask me properly." An evil smirk crossed her face.

Fred smiled and followed her as she moved out of the kitchen and through the house. He'd call Kelly later and tell her that they'd be at the dinner.

"You don't even know this woman." John frowned where he was sitting at the table. Kelly had informed him she'd given Fred a time and date and told him to meet them with his date. "How do you know that we're going to want to spend an entire dinner with her?"

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think that Fred would be with a woman we couldn't get along with?" She turned as she noticed a tall person walking into the restaurant. It was a restaurant that Kelly had chosen in the local city that she felt would be a nice changed for them. She pointed toward the door and John looked to Fred.

"Is that—?" The two seated Spartans watched as the woman walked in behind Fred. The woman stood just a bit under Fred's height, with short cut blond hair that was only about an inch long and blue eyes. She wore a black shirt dipped low in the front with a simple pair of black pants.

Fred led her over to the table and Kelly could tell that she was uncomfortable. Kelly stood as they arrived. She smiled at the woman and moved over to her. "Is that really you?"

"Well I'm me so I guess so." Kathleen shrugged, glancing at John before looking back to Kelly.

"Sit, we'll catch up." Kelly moved back to her seat while Kathleen and Fred took their own. The waiter came by and dropped off their menus.

"It's good to see you again, Kathleen." John smiled at the woman who, until moments ago he'd thought was dead.

"It is good to see you again as well, John." Kathleen flipped open her menu on the table and looked over the selection of foods.

"So, you're still alive?" Kathleen looked over to Kelly as the Petty Officer spoke. "What have you been doing for the past, few decades since we've seen you?"

Kathleen shrugged, looking back down at her menu. "Just things. I'm sure nothing that different from what you all did for the war." She flipped her menu closed and turned her attention fully to the couple on the other side of the table. "Well everything except what you did after the war."

Kelly frowned, not satisfied with the answer. "Well John and I have been busy." She glanced toward her husband who smiled gently at her. "After the war we just wanted to relax a bit."

"I heard you had four kids." Kathleen smirked. "How'd he get that past you?" She pointed at John but kept her eyes on Kelly.

"Well he sort of cheated." John frowned at Kelly's remark. "I only agreed to one, but ended up with twins the first time." Kathleen listened as Kelly explained. "Sadly I got two boys and I wanted a girl, so we tried again." She huffed and shook her head. "Instead of just giving me a daughter he also gives me another son. I swear, he cheated."

"Does seem a bit unfair." Kathleen looked over to the waiter as he arrived and took their orders. When he left Kathleen turned her attention back to Kelly. "Are they at least well behaved kids?"

"Oh, yes, they are. The oldest are nine and the youngest are six. Not bad ages but I'm worried about when they get into the teenage years," Kelly admitted.

"Are you two thinking of having kids?" John asked, sipping at his water.

Fred was about to answer but Kathleen cut him off. "I'm still an active duty soldier. Being pregnant would take me out of the field so there's no way that's happening."

"Wait, that's not up for discussion?" Fred was surprised by the news. Kelly glanced at John, surprised that they hadn't talked about it with each other. "You don't want kids?"

"That is hardly something I want to discuss or argue with you in public, Fred." Kathleen glared at him and Fred backed down. She turned to Kelly. "So what do you do these days?"

Kelly was glad that they were avoiding such a personal conversation in public. "Well these days I'm testing equipment for ONI. Trying out the weapons before they are given to soldiers."

"Tell those ONI spooks they need to make a sniper rifle mag with five rounds. My sniper won't shut up about wanting that." Kathleen looked up as their food arrived and waited until the waiters were gone before she spoke again. "Have you been testing the Mark VIII armor?"

Kelly shook her head. "No, that armor is supposed to be used by the ODST program or something. It's made for normal soldiers not Spartans."

Kathleen smirked a bit. Kelly frowned, not understanding why the other woman was so happy. "Do they look like ODST armor or MJOLNIR?"

Kelly shrugged. "I haven't really seen it. They have me testing out some improved shields on the Mark VII armor that they want to adapt to the newer model."

Kathleen shrugged it off and a silence fell as they ate their food. "So, are you two going to get married?" John finally asked.

Fred froze and glanced toward Kathleen. The female soldier frowned and looked to Fred then back to John. "Well I haven't been asked."

Kelly looked to Fred and wasn't surprised to see the look of shock on his face, as though asking had never crossed his mind. She smiled and looked to John who seemed just as amused by it. Fred stared down at his food as he continued to eat.

John was the first to break the silence. "You don't have to tell me, but I'd like to know what happened to you." He looked to Kathleen. "The last thing we knew you'd died during the augmentations."

Kathleen frowned a bit. "Like a bunch of surgeries could kill me." She huffed and reached up, scratching the scar on her neck. "I've been busy. Moved branches, became a marine, have been fighting whatever the UNSC points me at since about six months after the augmentations."

Kelly frowned. "On your own?"

Kathleen shook her head. "No, but that information is classified. I can't tell you anything more about the soldiers I work with."

Kelly glanced toward Fred but he was still looking at his food. She looked back to Kathleen. "So you're working in the shadowy stuff. Not what I expected you to end up doing. You never seemed to be the kind to like the stealth thing."

"No one said black ops was always stealth. I can do it but I prefer to leave no one alive so I can make as much noise as I want." Kathleen smirked a bit and glanced toward Fred. He raised his gaze to meet hers and then looked back down.

The next couple hours were spent chatting about this and that, catching up on things. A good portion of the time was spent talking about John and Kelly's kids, and Kelly inviting Kathleen to come over and meet them sometime.

When they finished and the bill showed up there was a brief argument over who would pay until Kathleen stole the check and paid with a card she informed them was actually that of an officer that she wanted a bit of pay back on.

The waiter didn't bother to question the card, or the fact that the name on the card was a man's, and just processed their bills. They headed out of the building and said their goodbyes before splitting ways.

Kelly sat in the passenger's seat of the warthog, watching the buildings go by. She was just staring off into the distance and it was starting to worry John. "What's wrong?"

"Forty years. Forty years and they finally found each other again." John frowned, not understanding Kelly's point. "Just makes me think how lucky we are." She leaned over in the car and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. Her hand settled over his knee as she relaxed against him. She smirked and ran her hand up her leg a bit. He glanced over at her and turned back to the road, turning off down a street to take a shortcut back to the base.


	80. Smile

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Smile**

* * *

John sat across from him. They were going through the signals that they used to do out of armor. With the new speed and power that the MIJOLNIR armor gave them, the old subtle signals they used to give were exaggerated and obvious. John had chosen Kelly to help him decide on the new motions. He told himself it was because she was the fastest Spartan and would probably have the most trouble doing them, not because he wanted to keep her close.

So far they had figured out how to signal trouble ahead and to stay cool. "I think we can use the radios for attention. Just clicking the COM should be good enough." Kelly tested it out.

John shook his head. "Make it two. That was we are sure that we mean attention." John clicked the COM twice and Kelly nodded. "Now, we can use the acknowledgment lights to help us. Red can men to fall back. Green is a friendly signal, that whatever is approaching isn't a threat. We can use the amber flights for a warning to stop." John checked out each of the lights. They all seemed to work and Kelly nodded. "Try the wait signal."

Kelly made a fist with her hand. "It seems too fast." John could feel the frown behind her visor. She was so fast that slow motions like the wait signal were hard for her. "I'll practice it. I'm sure it's just me that'll have trouble with it."

John nodded, letting it go. He slowly made a fist with his own hands, satisfied that he was able to do it slow enough. He flicked a finger and Kelly tilted her helmet to the side. "It means open a private COM."

Kelly did so and leaned forward a bit. "So, what else do we have to figure out? We can't really improve our all clear signal. It's six notes so the armor doesn't really change that."

John thought for a moment. "Well we haven't figured out the smile yet. We can't see each other's face through the visors so we'll need a way to show that we are pleased."

"Well that's not a hard one." Kelly reached out and swiped two of her fingers across John's faceplace. Her fingers lingered for a moment before she finally retracted them.

John stared across at her. "You know you should probably do that on your own faceplate." He wasn't really complaining. That was as close as the armor really let him get to Kelly. He hadn't realized how much he missed the intimate contact, even if it was just one of those times where her hand would bump his.

Kelly didn't answer right away but when she did John could hear the playful tone of her voice. "If it were anyone else, maybe, but then again when I smile at another Spartan it's not the same as when I smile at you. Therefor the way I do the smile signal to you should be different."

John had to admit that she was right. He had noticed a difference in how she would smile at Fred or Linda than how she would smile at him. It was a very small difference, as small as the difference of what faceplate she used. When she smiled at him the left side of her lips would rise just a bit more than the right and there was a warmth in her eyes that wasn't there when looking at others. "All right." He reached out and swiped his own two fingers across her faceplate. Behind the reflective surface he was smiling, the sort of smile that he only gave Kelly.

Kelly lifted her hand, flattening it and placing the palm side of her hand against where her mouth would be under her helmet before reaching out, repeating the action on John's helmet.

As she pulled her hand he watched it. He knew he was going to regret his next words, and he knew they would hurt, but he had to say them. "I think we should just stick with the smile." He could see the slump of Kelly's shoulder. John stood, wanting to get his mind off of it. "Come on, we need to show the others." John turned and moved out of the room with Kelly on his heels.


	81. Perfect

**Pairing: Kelly/Fred  
**

**Title: Perfect**

Kelly made sure that her hair was combed. Usually she wouldn't put too much effort into her appearance, but tonight was special. She turned to look back at Fred who was buttoning up his clean white dress shirt. She smiled at him. He really did look handsome in his nice shirt and black dress pants. "It's nice doing things like this."

Fred looked to her and smiled. "Yeah, not often that they let us get off of the base like this." He moved over to her, placing his hand on her bare arms. "You look lovely. Where'd you get that outfit anyway?"

Kelly stood, letting him see the complete outfit . She wore a light blue sleeveless top and a skirt that went down to her knees which was a simple white color. "You really like it? I got it from one of the other soldiers."

Fred looked her over, reaching up and lightly touching her cheek. He leaned in, placing a quick kiss on her lips. "It's beautiful. Though honestly you could wear rags and be beautiful."

Kelly laughed lightly. "Fred, you're so corny sometimes." She ran her hands over his chest. "You are looking particularly handsome tonight as well."

"Well if I'm going to be seen out on the town with someone as lovely as you on my arm, I have to put in a bit more effort than I usually would." Fred held up his hand for her. She took it and he led her out of their quarters.

Fred took her to a waiting warthog with the turret removed. They drove into town. They stopped in at one of the nicer Italian restaurant in town before they went to the local cinema, where they saw a movie made about the Spartan Program. Kelly and Fred had to keep themselves from rolling their eyes at the movie. It was completely unrealistic. Half way through they walked out, not willing to sit through someone falsifying their history so badly.

"It's a bit early to be turning in." Kelly leaned back in the passenger's seat of the warthog. "I mean, it's dark but it's not all that late."

"Don't you worry about that." There was a knowing grin on Fred's face. "I've got it covered." He was silent for the rest of the drive, though Kelly tried to get him to tell her where they were going several times. He would always just smile and not say a word.

The warthog finally stopped at the edge of a field. Kelly frowned, not understanding why they were here. "Fred, what's the point of this?" She looked back at him but he was already out of the jeep and moving around it. Kelly didn't want to admit it but she actually did need his help to get out. Her skirt made it difficult to climb out of the vehicle.

"Just give it a moment." He lead her a bit of the way into the field. "Just keep your eyes open and you'll see them." He put an arm around her shoulder look out at the field.

It took a few seconds but Kelly finally saw something. A single tiny light that hovered in the air and then vanished a second later. Soon the lights were flashing all over the place. Kelly smiled as she realized what they were. "Fireflies, I haven't seen them since I was a kid." She smiled as she started to move farther into the field, where the little insects were most concentrated.

"I thought you might like it. I heard about this place and it seemed like the perfect place to finish off the night." Fred moved to her side and looked around. "So what do you think?"

"I love it." Kelly was grinning happily as she watched the fireflies. When one strayed too close her hands shot out, easily catching it. She pulled it back to her, carefully opening her hands to watch it as it walked around her hands, it's rear lighting up periodically. The smile slowly fell from Kelly's face as she remembered the last time she'd done this.

Fred feared for a moment that he'd made a big mistake. "What's wrong? I thought you were having a good time." His mind was already racing with ways that he was hoping to make things better but he didn't understand what he was trying to fix.

"It's just…" Kelly started at the firefly crawling around in her hand. "The last time I did this it was with John and Sam." It almost hurt to say their names. She missed her team, and a moment like this reminded her of them.

Fred groaned. "I'm sorry, Kelly. I had no idea. I wouldn't have brought you here if I'd known it would bring up memories like that." He had no idea how to fix this. He hadn't even thought of that possibility.

Kelly shook her head. "No, it's all right." She opened her hand and let the firefly fly away. "It was a good memory, just made me miss them." She moved over to Fred, leaning into his chest. His arms wrapped around her and she smiled. "It's good to know that when I'm feeling lonely that I have you to make me feel better."

Fred held her tight. "I'm always going to be here for you, Kelly." They stood there for a while, just enjoying the cool night and the quiet of the field. "I'm sorry that tonight didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it too. I'm pretty sure that romantic gestures aren't supposed to make you sad. Hope you still love me."

Kelly laughed and patted Fred's chest. "Of course I still do. One sad moment isn't going to keep me from loving you." She moved a bit away from him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You need to stop doubting yourself. You're the sweetest, kindest, most romantic man that I've ever known. You're perfect, mistakes like this included." She pulled him to her for a deep kiss. When it broke Kelly smirked and moved past him. "Come on. If we don't head home now we won't have time for tonight's final activity."

Fred watched her walk toward the warthog, lost as to what she was talking about. He finally connected the dots and walked toward the warthog as well, grinning and glad that he hadn't made a total mess of things.


	82. Stories

**Pairings: Jorge/Emile, Fred/Kathleen, John/Kelly, Carter/Kat  
**

**Title: Stories**

The three Spartans sat in silence. There was an odd feeling in the air between them. The Spartan II fidgeted for a moment. "So, what were you and the Commander fighting about?" Jorge was trying to be casual with the question, but from how Kat had shouted at Carter to leave her alone it wasn't really a casual question.

Kat glared at him, obviously still a bit mad from her argument with Carter. "Just a question he's been asking me since we first became teammates."

Emile chuckled. "I can think of several things I'd ask you to do the first time I saw you." He leaned a bit on the table. "Though considering it's the Commander, I'm guessing he keeps asking you to marry him."

Kat glared at him. "You seriously need to shut up." She was obviously not in the mood for Emile's teasing. "He's asking the same thing that most of you damn Alpha Company Spartans seem to ask me."

"Oh, So you mean he was asking you about your old teammates again?" Emile relaxed a bit. "When will he learn to let that subject go with you? The last time he asked you about that I thought you were going to smack him."

"I _was_going to smack him. I don't think he will ever learn. He's been asking about them since we became teammates and he brings it up every once in a while." Kat leaned onto the table, shaking her head.

"Wait, you didn't like your old team?" Jorge didn't seem to understand the idea. "How could you not like your old team? Were they different from who you trained with?"

Kat shook her head. "No, Spartan IIIs go into the field with the same teams they train with." Kat looked away from the others. "I don't want to talk about them." She decided to change the subject. "So then I guess you liked the people you trained with and were on a team with before this."

Jorge nodded. "Yeah, the people I trained with were good people, like family to me. I actually don't know which of them are still alive." Jorge frowned at the realization.

Kat leaned against the table. "Tell me a bit about your training with the Spartan IIs. I'd like a perspective on how you were trained compared to our training. What were your fellow trainees like?"

Jorge shifted and glanced over at Emile. The carved eyes on the EVA helmet seemed to bore deep into him, waiting to hear whatever Jorge was willing to tell. "Well, I don't think I want to talk about my team. It just…I just don't want to talk about them. But I can tell you about some of the trainees that weren't on my team."

"That sounds fair enough." Kat shifted, getting herself comfortable so that she could take in all that he was willing to tell her.

Jorge hesitated for a moment, looking over at Emile who was still waiting. "All right, I'll tell you about the Spartans you usually see in the news vids, Blue Team." The others leaned in a bit more. "There were four basic members of Blue Team back during training. There was Linda. She's basically the Jun of Blue Team. She's a great shot, was way better than anyone else. Could hit almost anything, even quickly moving targets. She was an all right woman, but she was always so distant. She didn't really need the team to operate, and she never really made an effort. She was always just fine not being close to anyone."

"Well that sounds like the standard sniper. A lot of them are independent." Kat nodded as she processed the information.

"Then there's Sam, he's like the me of the group. Big guy, he was really strong, and he was really nice. He was the best friend of the Spartan IIs leader. I do remember that he's gone. He died the first time that we fought the Covenant. We tried to board a Covenant ship. I wasn't a great shot, but when it was over, he hadn't made it." Jorge hung his head a bit. "He as a good guy, loyal friend."

"That is an honorable way to go down, Jorge. I bet him taking down that ship really shook the Covenant." Kat was trying to comfort him at least a little.

Jorge shrugged. "It was the first time someone had managed to take down a Covenant ship." He raised his gaze, getting back to his focus. "So, then there was Blue Two, basically the Kat of Blue Team. Her name was Kelly, the fastest woman I've ever known. She was always faster than everyone else in training, and after the augmentations, she was untouchable. Unlike Kat, she listened to her team leader. She was the best person to have at your back. Never let you down."

Emile chuckled. "And was she also banging her team leader, or was that why she listened to him, cause he was holding out on her?"

"Next time that someone has to do something suicidal on a mission, you're doing it." Kat glared across the table at Emile. He didn't seem at all effected.

"Why do you antagonize her? I really don't want her to get you killed." Jorge frowned at the Spartan III beside him. "You know she will do it."

"No one said I would listen to her. If the Commander orders me to do it, than I have to, but she ain't the Commander." Emile leaned back and crossed his arms.

"Yes, but if I have the Commander wrapped around my finger as you keep saying I do, I don't see how I couldn't convince him to send you on a particular assignment." Kat smiled innocently but Emile froze.

Not wanting the conversation to continue, as it was likely only going to become more violent, Jorge changed the subject. "The Blue Team leader is a lot like Carter." The two snapped their attention back to Jorge. "He's serious, takes his job seriously. He's not the strongest, the fastest, or the best shot. He is loyal, and he doesn't like to lose. He always wins and he tries to get all of his soldiers out alive or unharmed. His name is John, and he's the Master Chief that you usually see in the vids."

"I never really knew he had a name. Just always thought of him as the Master Chief." Emile tilted his head to the side. "Honestly they all look the same in their armor." Emile pounded his fist against his chest. "We have personal style."

"Well I don't think the Spartan IIs really get a choice." Jorge looked down at his own armor. "I think I could only do this because we have two officers who can authorize modifications. John is the highest ranking Spartan II, so there aren't any officers."

Kat perked up a bit. "So then Carter and I could order around Spartan IIs?" She seemed to like that idea. "You got any good stories about this Blue Team?"

Jorge thought about it for a moment. "Oh, I'll give you an example. So Chief Mendez drops us off in the woods. He gave each of us a map and then dropped us off. So I we all planned on meeting at this lake. Well they drop me off and I had no idea where to go. I just started to head west cause that was supposed to be where the river was. So I was walking for some time, and suddenly I realize that something is following me. That's when I realized there are about five wolves walking around me. So I have no idea what to do. They are all around me."

"Did you have any weapon to defend yourself with?" Kat asked.

Jorge shook his head. "Nope, just a jacket, boots, and the map. So I'm stuck, have no idea what do to. Then suddenly another trainee comes running out of the forest and tackles one of the wolves. The others all scattered like crazy. It turned out it was Kathleen, a member of Red Team. She was a lot like you, Emile. She was violent. Turn out she had been watching and had noticed which one seemed to be in charge. The one she'd tackled was the alpha and when it went running so did all the others."

"Wait, so Emile is a woman in the Spartan IIs." Kat glanced over at Emile. "The question is which is more of a bad ass."

"Well the answer is obvious," Emile stated.

"Yeah, Kathleen was more of a bad ass." Emile turned to Jorge, not believing what the larger man had said. "Sorry, buddy, but if you met her you would agree with me. Sadly you can't. She died during the augmentations. That took out about half of our class."

Kat nodded. "I wish I could get some information about the augmentations you Spartan IIs went through. I'd like to know why there was such a high failure rate."

"Wait, there wasn't a large failure rate for your class?" Jorge looked between the two younger Spartans, surprised by the information.

"None of us died from the augmentations." Kat shrugged. "We all made it through with no issues."

Jorge frowned. "There must have been improvements. I would like to know myself what were the differences." Jorge wished that they'd had such safer augmentations back when he was in training.

"Now, Kitten, it's your turn to tell Jorge some stories about back when you were in training." Emile chuckled lightly as he leaned back in his chair.

"Emile." They all turned to see Carter enter the room. He moved to stand behind Kat. "You know not to call her that." He narrowed his gaze a bit at the violent man. Kat stood up and grabbed his arm, pulling the commander out of the room.

Emile tilted his head to the side. "She forgave him faster than I expected." Emile looked over at Jorge. "You finally going to admit it?"

"That I love you, I've already admitted that, Emile." The tease was halfhearted. Jorge was staring at the door the Commander and Lieutenant Commander had left through. "You know you were right. John and Kelly were an item back when we were in training." He frowned a bit. "Kat and Carter are even more like those two then I realized. Kelly loved John, we all knew it and she never put a lot of effort into hiding it. He though, he was our leader, the head of our squad. He never let himself be free enough to express if he felt the same way."

Emile chuckled. "Well then they are only sort of alike. I mean, this John guy, he seems like he probably would never change, even that Kelly lady couldn't change him." Emile looked toward the door. "I was friends with Richard, a guy that not only trained with Carter but was with them from the start of Noble. Said that Carter used to be a lot more stiff, but that he's sort of relaxed over the years." The EVA helmet titled to the side. "Always said that was because of Kat."

Jorge smiled. "Well you know what they say. A good woman can change a man." He paused for a moment before he spoke again. "I think that Kelly could change John, if she wanted to. Though even if she didn't try I think that he would change." Jorge looked over at Emile. "You know I'm really not the Sam of Noble?"

"If you aren't Sam, then who are you?" Emile asked.

"I would be Fred, except without the leadership skill. Fred isn't the strongest. He's like John, even in just about everything, but he doesn't like to be in the spotlight. The most important thing though, was that he loved Kathleen."

Emile groaned. "You are sad sometimes, Jorge." Emile stood up and so did Jorge.

"Sometimes, yes, but you love me anyway." The Spartan II followed Emile as the left the room.


	83. 001 Element of Surprise

001 element of surprise

Fred's hand gripped his nose, trying to stop the bleeding. "Why did you hit me?" His voice was muffled since he was holding his nose closed.

Kathleen crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him. "Why did you sneak up on me? You should know that I'm going to hit someone that tries something like that." She grabbed a towel and passed it to him. "Why did you sneak up on me anyway?"

Fred pressed the towel to his nose and moved to lean against the counter in the kitchen. "I was trying to surprise you. You know, be romantic, wrap my arms around you and make a move. I mean, I thought you liked when I took initiative."

Kathleen sighed and motioned to the seat at the table. Fred took a seat and watched as Kathleen grabbed another towel and ran it under some water. She then moved over to Fred and he moved the bloody towel away from his nose. Kathleen dabbed at the blood that was drying on his face. "I do like you showing initiative, but I'd have preferred if you'd announced yourself. At least give me a chance to turn around and face you before you tried to pin me to the counter."

"I was just trying to use the element of surprise. I mean you responded well last night." Fred tilted his head back so that she could clean his face.

"That sounds like a bad sex joke." Kathleen moved to sit down in his lap. She finished cleaning his face and put it to the side. "I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy last night, I did, you just need to remember that I have reflexes. I'm going to hit people that come up behind me." She carefully wrapped her arms around his neck. "Does it still hurt?"

Fred shrugged. "I've had worse. I'm more upset that I couldn't sneak up on you, really." His arms moved around her waist, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Though I'm sure that you could make it feel better."

"I swear, you have a one track mind." Kathleen chuckled.

"Can you blame me when I come home and you're wearing something like that?" Fred's hand slipped up under the thin material of her work out shirt. "At least if you're not going to wear the proper supportive garments."

Kathleen smirked at him. "Well then you should have come home earlier. I just had to change into this since my shirt from earlier was a mess. Had some blood on it." Fred raised an eyebrow. "Let's just say it involved a bat, a base, some chocolate, and a woman that really wanted that chocolate." Fred still seemed confused. "Let me put it this way. That old saying about never getting between a woman and chocolate was proven very true by one of my soldiers."

Fred chuckled, resting his head against her shoulder. "Remind me not to get between you and chocolate." He closed his eyes, pulling her closer to her as he made himself comfortable.

Kathleen smirked, running a hand over his hair. "Maybe some chocolate could get between me and you."

Fred opened his eyes and looked up toward her. "And you think I have a one track mind." He smirked and chuckled as he hugged her tighter.


	84. 002 Mutual Feelings

002 Mutual feelings

Fred wrapped his arms around her waist, moving so that he was pinning her to the bed. He buried his face into her hair, holding her tight. "Do you have to? I don't want you to." If he had things his way he'd just lay here in bed with her for the rest of the day.

"The feeling is mutual, Fred, but I have to go." Kathleen tried to move but Fred's weight made it hard to move. "Fred, you have to get off of me. I need to be on that ship in an hour." She tried to get up again but Fred moved his leg so it was wrapped around her leg, preventing her from getting up.

"An hour is a long time." Fred rubbed himself against her. "There's a lot we could do in an hour." He kissed her shoulder and then smiled at her. "What do you say? You did say you'd be gone for several weeks."

Kathleen chuckled at him. "Fred, we'd need more than an hour for that." She moved her hand up to run over his hair. "Besides, I have to be there in an hour, I need to get there before that. That doesn't leave us enough time. My team is waiting."

Fred ignored her logic. "I'm sure we have time for a quickie." He moved so that she was lying on her back and he was holding himself over her.

"Fred, don't give me openings for comments about quickness. This is your one and only warning." Kathleen smiled up at him but then swiftly pushed him off and got up before he could stop her.

"You must be in a good mood. Giving me a warning for once." Fred moved to be sitting up in the bed, leaning back against the headboard as he watched her moved through the room to the dresser.

"Well, like you said, I'm going to be gone for several weeks." Kathleen pulled open a drawer and pulled out some undergarments. "Figured that if it's going to be that long, we can end it on a good roll in the sheets rather than me making jokes about your performance." Kathleen slipped on the garments and then grabbed some clothes.

"Will I be able to contact you at all or will you be too far out of system?" Fred got up from the bed and moved over to her. "I'm finding it harder and harder to stand being away from you."

Kathleen slipped on her pants and buttoned them up before slipping on her shirt. She then turned toward him and leaned back against the dresser. Fred lessened the space between them, setting his hands on the dresser top behind her. "We're going to be too far away and probably too busy."

Fred sighed and leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. "I wish you didn't have to keep leaving." He just wanted her to say home, wanted to know that he wouldn't be coming home for weeks on end to an empty house and going to sleep alone.

"You know that's the way it has to be." Kathleen closed her eyes. She shifted, gently kissing him before she pulled away. "I love you, Fred."

"I love you, Kathleen." Fred kissed her a bit more deeply. "Come home safe."

"I'll do my best." Kathleen placed one last quick kiss on his lips before he moved away and she moved out of the room to head to join her team. Fred reluctantly lay back down on the bed, already missing his bedmate.


	85. 003 When you say my name

003 When you say my name

Fred shifted a bit so that he was more comfortably lying against Kathleen. He buried his face into her chest, being sure that when he moved he still left her arms free. The only way he'd gotten her to allow him to lay on the couch with her was if he still allowed her to read her data pad so she could catch up on the most recent reports. What hadn't been a part of his plan was the cat that was lying on his back. Kathleen wasn't helping. She was scratching the cat so it remained where it had laid down on Fred's back.

"Ow, Kat." Fred shifted, causing the feline to jump down from his back. He flinched as Kathleen smacked the back of his head. "Ow, what was that for." Fred held himself tighter to her, partially burying his face against her chest. "I was behaving."

"You called me Kat. Since when have I not hit you for that?" Kathleen relaxed back a bit, her hand moving to Fred's head to scratch a bit behind his ear. He was a bit annoyed that she was now treating him like he was the cat.

"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to the cat. She dug her claws into my back. I know better than to call you anything other than Kathleen." Fred frowned, a bit annoyed that she'd think he'd forget that rule.

"You do realize that she has a name as well and it's not Kat. It's ODSK the second." Kathleen looked to her side as the feline jumped onto the arm of the couch near her head. "See, she responds to that name."

Fred was still sulking. "Whatever. You should still know that I would never call you the wrong name. Well, unless I'm mad at you for some reason."

Kathleen sighed. "Fine, I'm sorry for hitting you when you didn't call me Kat." She looked down at the man who was once more cuddling to her chest. "If you want I can tell you why I only let people call me Kathleen and not Kat."

That got Fred's attention. He'd wondered for so long why she'd been so insistent, contrary to so many other Spartan trainees. Fred moved to be looking at her, his attention fully focused on what she said. "I'd like to know."

Kathleen just stared at him for a moment, enjoying having his attention. "I was named after my mother. She died when I was very young and in the end my name and memories were all I had of her. I decided that everyone would call me by my name so that way every time I heard my name I would think of my mother. It's how I've remembered her."

Fred moved so that he could rest his head on the couch arm beside Kathleen's. "Why didn't you just tell me that when we were training? I would have never called you Kat."

"Because, like I told you, I didn't remember that that was the reason. I mean, I thought of my parents all the time back then, thought about how they would have done things, wondered if my training was like theirs, things like that. I forgot it for a long time until they gave me back my parent's tags." Kathleen pulled on the tag around her neck and Fred moved to make it easier. Once she'd pulled them out of her shirt he moved back to his position. Kathleen picked through the tags until she found the one she was looking for.

There on the tag was the name Kathleen and a few digits. The rest of the tag was scratched up and Fred couldn't read it. He reached over and ran a finger over it. "Does this mean you'll take my last name if we get married?"

Kathleen frowned at him. "You don't have a last name, Fred."

Fred settled back into position. "I could find out what if its. We were offered to look at our original files. it would be in there."

"And we could find out what my last name is and chose whichever one sounds the best," Kathleen countered. "There is no way in hell I'm taking your last name if it's a stupid one."

Fred thought about it for a moment. "I'll agree to that, though you have to agree that if our first child is a boy we name it after me."

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "For the last time, we are not having kids. I don't care how much you liked helping Kelly and John raise their kids."

Fred pouted a bit as he nuzzled her neck. "If it's a girl we can call it Kathleen."

"Be quiet before I kick you off the couch and replace you with ODSK," Kathleen warned. Fred fell silent, not wanting to lose his place to a feline.


	86. 004 Love reflecting in your eyes

004 Love reflecting in your eyes

Fred rolled over on the bed, taking deep breaths to get his breathing under control. He looked to Kathleen as she moved to settle on his chest. "Been working out?" She asked.

"Just got back from a five mile run." Fred ignored the sound of disapproval from the woman. "What about you? Late night? You're usually up and at the gym and putting your soldiers through hell by the time."

Kathleen settled her cheek on his chest. "Instead of a morning workout we did late night exercises. Being in that armor gets you too used to the equipment. Had to be sure their night vision was still good. Also, if you're that winded after five miles then you're out of shape." She frowned at him, obviously not satisfied with his performance.

"I'll have you know that I'm only tired because I've already done weight training and basic exercises before I went on my run." Fred frowned at her. "What would you consider a reasonable mile to get tired at?"

Kathleen thought about it. "For me I'd say mile nine or ten, may be eight if I'd had a late night the night before. For any of my soldiers, at least mile seven, nothing before that." Kathleen took in a deep breath then sat up. "You stink."

"That's because I just got back from a workout. I do tend to sweat during those activities." Fred shifted so that he was sitting up, his breathing having calmed down. "Besides, you don't smell that much better." Kathleen moved off of him and off of the bed. "Where are you going?"

"If I smell so bad, I'm going to take a shower." Kathleen moved around the bed and as she reached Fred's side he stood up as well, following her into the bathroom. "Do you really need to follow me?" She checked that there was a towel before she started to remove what little clothing she had on.

"Hey, I stink too. I'm not allowed to take a shower?" Fred moved to follow her lead but she stopped him. "Seriously, you're going to stop me?"

"I swear Fred, sometimes I think you absorbed some of Will when he died. Besides, you know that our shower isn't big enough for two." Kathleen started the water and then motioned toward the bedroom. "Just wait for me to finish."

"The shower's not big enough because this was supposed to be a house for one person. It's why I had to get a new bed." Fred leaned against the door frame. "I'll wait right here for you to get out."

Kathleen frowned at him. "If you stand in the doorway all the steam will go out. Get out." He tried to push him out so that she could shut the door.

"I can only get out if I'm in first." Fred grinned as she smacked his arm. Rather than letting her push him out he moved into the room and shut the door behind him. "There, now the steam won't get out." He moved over to the toilet and put the lid down before he took a seat. "I'll wait right here."

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Fine, but behave." Fred gave her a charming and innocent smile. Kathleen stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. Fred leaned back on the tank of the toilet, just listening to the shower run. "You know you're going to have to get a larger shower when you move."

Fred frowned. He hadn't had any plans on moving. "You know, you need to stop making plans for my life without me being a part of the discussion. You decide you're willing to get married, but don't tell me that I'm allowed to ask. You say no children without even talking to me about it, not even giving me the option of proposing alternative ways to have a kid. Now you're planning on me moving without asking me."

Kathleen didn't answer right away. "I met with a Marine Major the other day." Fred frowned, not sure what that meant. "Nothing has been decided, but…" Kathleen was silent for a moment before she continued. "He said they were looking into putting my team in an on base position." Fred couldn't believe what he'd just heard. They were thinking of taking Kathleen's team out of the front lines? "If that happens then I'd be moving in with you or something like that. Either way I'd be around a lot more and you'd need to move into a bigger house."

Silence fell and Fred stared at the wall across from him. He was still processing what it all meant. "So…this isn't for sure?"

"No, not yet." Kathleen was getting nervous. He hadn't really shown any emotion toward the information. She wondered if he was considering it overstepping her bounds by assuming she would move in. He apparently didn't like her making those decision on her own.

"So…should I just get a house for you and me or should I put in for them to make full barracks so your team can also live there? Maybe just a home for you, me, and a kid." The last two words were said carefully. Fred knew that she was very clear about not wanting to be pregnant so he was trying to be careful.

Kathleen rinsed her hair under the water and then turned it off, stepping out of the shower and grabbing her towel. It wasn't until she'd wrapped it around her that she answered. "If this actually happens then there will be a main barracks for my team. They'll…well I can't tell you about it until it's official and even then I'll only be able to tell you a little." Fred was surprised. She hadn't scolded him or hit him for the mention or assumption that they'd have a kid. Kathleen looked at him and he realized that he was just sitting there in surprise. "I did hear you, just so you know. I'm just going to let you argue your 'alternative' methods for parenthood."

Fred wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. He lifted her up a bit and started to move out of the bathroom. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her. "What are you doing?" Kathleen asked.

Fred set her down on the bed and pushed her back until she was lying down. "Oh, I was just going to express my joy that you might be moving in with me." Fred kissed her neck.

Kathleen pushed him away. "Fred you still smell gross. Go take a shower." Kathleen pushed him once again and Fred moved away a bit. "Seriously, you reek."

Fred leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Fine, I'll be back in a moment." Fred hesitated, looking down at the woman below him. He just enjoy the quiet calm of the moment, the triumphant smirk on her face, the way her eyes reflected back the love he felt at that moment. He gave her one last kiss before he moved away and to the showers to clean up.

He was sure now. Sure that he was making the right step, that they were ready. Now he just needed to come up with some logical and convincing arguments for some of the alternative ways to have kids.


	87. 005 Wings of Comfort

005 Wings of comfort

Fred flipped open the broacher that had come with the new bed. Kathleen was at the side of the bed, feeling how soft it was. "You have got to hear this." Fred was grinning as he read the description. "This bed will carry you to dreamland on the wings of comfort that are perfect just for you." Fred moved over to the bed and sat down. "Surprised it doesn't say something about sleeping like a baby."

Kathleen lay down on the bed. "That's because babies don't sleep very well. No one wants to be waking up time after time in the night crying over something." She frowned as she tried to get comfortable on the bed. "This thing is too soft."

Fred moved to be lying beside her, wrapping his arm around her as he would if they were going to sleep. He kissed her lightly on the shoulder. "You still haven't convinced me not to want a kid." Fred shifted his arm so that they could look at the control pad he'd picked up. "So you want it a bit harder. Not a problem." Kathleen chuckled and Fred shook his head. "And you complain about me being single minded."

"Shut up and just make it harder," Kathleen countered.

"Well, I'll pass that chance to make a very dirty joke and do what you actually meant." Fred hit the controls and adjusted her side of the bed. The mattress under them hardened a bit until Kathleen stopped him. Fred shifted a bit and frowned. "That is way too hard?"

"I'll ignore that far too easy to make joke and remind you that you have your own side of the bed if you don't like it." Kathleen pushed him off and to his own side of the bed. She moved to be straddling him. "So how do you like it? Hard or soft?"

Fred looked up at her, for a moment not saying anything. "Wait, what are we talking about right now?" Kathleen held up the control pad. "Oh, I like my mattress just a bit harder than a cloud." Kathleen adjusted the settings to be a bit harder and Fred nodded. "That feels pretty good. Just hard enough"

Kathleen frowned for a moment. "Is it just because we're in bed that just about everything you say I can reply to with something dirty?" Fred shrugged. Kathleen moved on from the subject, looking at the control pad. "So, can this thing be programmed with settings? Like a softer setting after a hard day or one for when I'm injured and don't want such a hard surface to lie on?"

Fred nodded and took the control from her. "You can set all kinds of preferences." Fred tapped some things and then turned it around so that Kathleen could see that the settings on her side of the bed were now labeled as with her name.

Kathleen took the control from him and changed a few settings. Fred looked down as the mattress below him became a bit more stiff. He didn't know what was going on until she put the control to the side and turned her attention back to him. "All right, let's properly break this thing in." Fred grinned as she leaned down to bring their lips together.


	88. 006 Intimate Knowladge

006 Intimate knowledge

It helped that he has an intimate knowledge of Kathleen's schedule. When she was on the base she did the same thing every day. She woke up before him around five in the morning, went to exercise with the team that Fred still hadn't fully met. She got home every day between nine and ten in the morning, they would usually partake in some sort of activity together, and then Fred would have lunch with her. She would then leave again to take part in more training with her soldiers or some sort of war game and arrive home from six to seven at night. They usually went to bed from nine to ten and fell asleep at some point from ten to eleven in the night. It was the same thing for her every day.

It had made it easy to hide his activities from her. Since she was gone most of the day she didn't really know what he was doing with his days. He told her that his days were filled with meetings with officers and doing paper work. He still did those things, but for the last few weeks he'd been doing much more. In the same time he'd been laying his plans, making deals, and insuring that everything was set up perfect.

Today would be a bit harder. The house was a mess and Fred was regretting having agreed to the favor, but it would hopefully pay off. He'd agreed to babysit the head of the supply department. It meant that he wouldn't flag what Fred was having delivered as contraband and would allow Fred to keep his plans the way he wanted. He'd only have to watch the kid for the evening, well within the hours that Kathleen would be gone.

The problem was the child had been awful. Fred made a promise to himself that when he convinced Kathleen to have a kid he was not going to let the kid end up like this. The kid had knocked things over and had been rough with ODSK, which the feline did not enjoy. There were pillows on the ground, books that had been pulled from a shelf, and the counters in the kitchen were a mess.

Fred couldn't have been happier when the child's father finally came to get him. He'd had just enough time to clean up the mess in the kitchen and start making dinner. He'd just finished up the pasta for the night when Kathleen had arrived home.

Kathleen moved into the kitchen and instinctively sat down at the table. "Why's the house a bit of a mess?"

Fred had thought about it for a while and had come up with a lie that he hoped she'd buy. "I decided to give ODSK a bath and she was really hard to get a hold of." He put the pasta onto plate and added the sauce to the noodles before he put the plates on the table. He then moved back over to the fridge and grabbed the butter before quickly picking up some rolls and then returning to the table.

"Don't cats clean themselves?" Kathleen stood up and moved over, grabbing them some silverwear for the meal. She set a fork and knife by Fred's plate and then moved back to her own seat. She started to eat, waiting for him to answer.

"Well they say you should still bathe your cats to keep them from getting mangy and ODSK does spend a lot of time outside." Fred hoped she'd buy the lie. He then showed her his arms. "She scratched me up pretty badly." There were claw marks on his forearms from the feline. It had actually been because the kid had kept annoying the cat and Fred always stepped in the way and ended up being the one that got hurt.

Kathleen looked at his arms. "Aw, you want me to kiss them and make them better?" Kathleen's hand moved out and grabbed his wrist, pulling his arm to her. She leaned forward and kissed one of the scratches.

Fred was confused by the action, and his eyes opened wider as her tongue moved over the scratch. "Wow, you usually aren't this amorous during dinner." Kathleen pulled back a bit, Fred frowned. "Is this brought on by good news or bad?"

Kathleen hesitated before she answered. "I'm being deployed for a month." Fred didn't know what to say. A full month was a long time. Kathleen didn't say more, just picked at her food.

"When will you be deployed?" Fred feared it would be soon and all his plans would go to waste. Everything would be ruined. Truthfully he should have known better than to make plans this big when she was able to be deployed at any moment.

"Two weeks," Kathleen answered. "That's more of a warning than we usually get." She was right. They usually got a few days' notice before she had to leave.

Fred's hand reached out, settling on hers. "Can you tell me what you'll be doing for a month?" Kathleen shook her head. Fred sighed, having expected that. In his head he was checking to see if he'd still have the time for his plan. If he worked a bit harder he was sure he could get it finished.

Kathleen stood and moved to sit on Fred's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'd tell you but I honestly don't know why we're going or where." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. Fred smiled up at her and she smirked. "Until then, time is limited."

Fred smiled and put his arms around her, pulling her down to bring their lips together for a few minutes. "Well then we shouldn't waste too much more time." Kathleen grinned as well, a slightly evil look on her face as she pulled him back to her.


	89. 007 Lasting Impression

007 Lasting Impression

Kathleen wasn't sure what she was expecting. Fred had always been a romantic man, and although she might act like she doesn't like it, she really did appreciate it. It was relaxing and he was the only person that she let get away with those sort of things. Since she'd told him that she was going to be leaving for a month she'd expected some gesture of love or affection from him. A special dinner, some flowers, and a night of wild sex. Something like that. So far, there was nothing, and she would only be around for three more days before she had to leave.

When Kathleen entered the house that she and Fred shared she knew something was off. The lights were all off and there didn't seem to be any sign of Fred. Kathleen carefully and quietly closed the door behind her while she pulled out the knife from her belt. She moved through the house slowly, checking around every corner and behind everything. She finally spotted a bit of light in the direction of the kitchen. Kathleen moved forward but when she entered the room she didn't find an intruder.

The light was being caused by a pair of candles sitting on the table. She moved around the table to where she usually sat and looked down at the picture that sat there. She reached down and picked it up, looking over the picture of the house. It was a simple one story home and it looked to be a bit bigger than the home she was standing in. She was examining the image and didn't even hear the other person enter.

"Do you like it?" Kathleen turned, knife at the ready. She relaxed a bit when she realized that it was just Fred. He was standing in the back door in his military uniform, carrying two plates with steaks on them.

Kathleen frowned, holding up the image of the house. "Well it's a lovely picture, but why did you leave it on my seat." She looked at the steaks. "Are those for us?"

Fred nodded, moving over to the table and setting them down. "You know you don't need a knife around me." Fred glanced toward the weapon and then moved to pull out Kathleen's chair. "And it's not just a picture."

Kathleen slid the knife back into its place on her belt. She moved to sit down in her chair. She decided to let him be a gentleman and pull out her chair. "If it's not just a picture, what is it?"

Fred took his seat and grinned across the table at her. "It's the house they're building for us." Kathleen stared at him and Fred grinned. "That will be our house. So, do you like it?" Kathleen just stared down at the picture, a slightly distant look on her face. "If you don't like the color or something we can have it painted a different color."

"It's not that." Kathleen didn't look up from the picture. "It's just…I can't remember a time when I had a home, a house." Her gaze turned to Fred. He seemed a bit saddened by her words. Kathleen put the image down and turned her attention to her steak, cutting in. "Well, we'll have to argue about interior design when it's built, or before. No bright colors."

Fred grinned as he started to eat his own steak. "If you had your way all the walls and everything would be black." Kathleen smirked back at him.

They spent the duration of dinner talking about what they wanted in their new home, though mainly about what Kathleen wasn't willing to have in the house. When they finished they went upstairs. Fred wanted to change out of his uniform from a meeting with an admiral that day while Kathleen wanted to take a shower.

Kathleen stood in the shower, rinsing the last of the shampoo out of her hair. She was sad to realize that Fred wasn't going to join her. She turned off the water and stepped out, drying herself off before she slipped into a pair of gray sweatpants and a simple ODST tank top.

She walked out into the bedroom and was sad to see that Fred wasn't there. She looked to the bed and raised an eyebrow at the rose petals that covered the sheets. It was a bit more classic then she had expected. Even from Fred. She lay down on the bed, picking up one of the petals and holding it up. It was soft between her fingers.

The door opened and Fred walked in. "You know roses are a bit old fashion." Kathleen didn't look at Fred as she spoke. She didn't look at him until he moved to stand beside her. She frowned as she realized that he was still wearing his uniform. "I thought you were going to change."

"Well, actually I had to do something else." Kathleen frowned at his words. Fred took a deep breath and then held out a flower. Kathleen stared at it, not believing what she was seeing. Even in the light of the bedside lamp she could tell that it was glowing. The same faint blue color she remembered from that little underwater cave.

Kathleen reached over and switched off the lights so that she could be sure she was right. In the dark it glowed like a nightlight. Kathleen looked at the flower in wonder. "I never thought I'd see one of those again. Now that's more of what I'd expect from you, Fred." A smile spread over her face. "Creative, romantic, and leaving a lasting Impression that I'll be remembering for years." She reached out for the flower carefully.

Before she could reach it Fred knelt down beside the bed. He slipped the flower behind her ear and it brought back memories of the two of them on her fourteenth birthday in the glow of the flowers. She was lost in the thought and didn't notice his movement. She did when he held up the object in front of her.

"I swear I would have asked earlier if I'd known you weren't going to hit me." Fred grinned as he held up the ring. "Kathleen, will you marry me?"

Kathleen took the ring from his hand and slipped it on. "I thought you were just going to assume my answer." She moved to be lying back on the bed and patted the bed beside her. "When did you want to have the wedding?"

Fred moved up on the bed beside her and smiled at her. "Well I was thinking tomorrow. Would even give us enough time to have a bit of a honeymoon before you have to leave."

Kathleen moved so that she was lying on Fred's chest. "Sounds good to me." She moved so that she was straddling his waist. "Now, show we celebrate our engagement properly?" Fred grinned and she leaned down to kiss him.


	90. 008 Kissing fears away

008 Kissing Fears away

Fred sat upright in his bed. He was sweating and shaking a bit. The dream had been so real. He'd felt the blood on his hands from trying to stop the bleeding. He sucked in an uneven breath as he tried to get control of himself, control his fear.

Kathleen's hands moved to pull him to her. Fred allowed it and his own hands clutched at her nightshirt. His face moved to her shoulder as her arms moved around him, holding him to her. "Shh, shh, It's all right." Kathleen ran a hand over his hair, trying to calm him. "Everything is all right."

Fred didn't say anything, just slowly managed to regulate his breath and stopped shaking. Kathleen moved them so that Fred was lying down. Kathleen moved so that she was a bit over him, allowing her to place kisses here and there, chasing away his fear.

When Fred had finally calmed down enough Kathleen settled beside him, still stroking his hair as his head leaned against her shoulder. "You want to talk about it?" Kathleen always offered. He never took her up on it. Though he'd never shaken as badly as he had this time. It had taken longer than normal for him to calm down.

Fred didn't answer, just stayed, laying against her side, his hand absently moving her shirt up so that he could touch her sides. They just lay in the silence, as they always did after one of his nightmares. This time, though, Fred spoke. "I have no idea what you do, so my mind fills the void. There was so much blood, all over the place. You were dying, died in my arms. I just couldn't stop the bleeding."

Kathleen kissed the top of his head and then his cheek. "Calm down, it's all right. I'm not bleeding, everything is fine." She could feel Fred start to shake a bit again. "I always have a team to back me up, and one of my soldiers is a very good medic."

"There's nothing logical about this, Kathleen." Fred moved so that he was lying in a position that allowed him to look at her, face to face. His forehead rested against hers. "If you were dying on the field, Kathleen, there would be no way that I could be there. I'd just have to wait for them to bring me back your body."

"If they bring my body back." Fred's eyes widened and Kathleen realized her misstep. "I'm just kidding. I'm sure they'd bring you back my body. Not that I plan on dying on the battle field anyway." Kathleen placed a quick kiss on his lips before she moved back to her former position. "Besides, what we do isn't that dangerous, really. I mean, we don't see combat as much as we used to."

Fred relaxed a bit. "You don't come back as injured as you used to." His hand moved up a bit lower on her side. It stopped as it touched the end of the scar across her chest. "There is still so much you won't tell me."

"I can't tell you." Kathleen moved so that she was a bit lower, able to fit against him. "You know that's just how things are and we can't change it. I can't tell you things that are still classified. All that stuff from the past is still off bounds." She moved her own hand over his chest, touching one of his scars. "Besides, you still have a lot of stories to tell me yourself."

Fred wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "That's for another time." He closed his eyes and made himself comfortable. Kathleen closed her own eyes and settled in to return to sleep.


	91. 009 Warm embrace

009 Warm Embrace

Fred watched as the pelican moved down toward the planet. He stood a bit away from the landing area, watching as they descended. He tried to contain his excitement; though he didn't do that very well. He'd never taken the initiative to go and meet her when she arrived on the planet. He felt that it was an ideal romantic gesture. After all he'd seen plenty of couples meet up when soldiers came back from deployment and they always seemed very happy.

The pelican landed and Fred watched as the rear hatch opened. A group of ODST walked out, talking to each other. Fred knew they were ODST from the number of scars that covered their arms, necks and whatever bit of flesh that was visible. One of them spotted Fred and the group started. They all turned to him and he saw grins cross their faces.

Fred wasn't sure what they were doing but they started to move toward him. He recognized some of the soldiers, but he couldn't quite place from where. He was still thinking about it when they finally reached him.

"What brings you to the landing field today, Giant Squid?" One of the soldiers, crossed his arms over his chest. His hair was cut short, and Fred could see burn scars here and there on his skin. There was a cold look to his blue eyes that made it obvious he'd seen a good deal of combat.

Fred realized where he recognized them. The name 'giant squid' and a good look at the soldier. He remembered them from Reach. "I'm here to meet someone. She's supposed to be arriving home."

Another soldier moved forward. "There's no one here for you, Sasquatch." The soldier's hair was buzzed down as far as it could go without being bald. Fred recognized him as the man who had been fighting the other soldier.

"I am sure that this is her transport. I'm here to meet Kathleen." He looked the soldiers over. They were all just a bit older then he was, and they all looked like they'd seen just as much combat, if not more. Maybe they just scared easier.

One of the soldiers stepped forward and Fred realized that it was a woman. She circled him and then stopped before him. "What do you want with the Sergeant?"

Fred looked them over, not sure if he should tell them anything at all. He went with the more political answer. "That is none of your business. I have personal business with, Kathleen."

The woman paused and smirked. "You don't call her by her rank so this isn't any sort of official personal business. I take it that means you know her personally." Fred frowned, not liking that she'd figured that out. "From the fact that you're a Spartan, then I would guess that you knew her before she trained us."

Fred decided that he wasn't going to just let this marine control the conversation. He took a page from Kathleen's book and got a bit defensive. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that out." It felt harsh as it came from his mouth and he had to keep himself from apologizing. Maybe peace had made him softer.

The woman smirked. "No, it doesn't, but it would take one to figure out that you must be the man she's banging." Fred froze at that. He didn't have any idea how to respond to that. "See, only a Spartan could really knock boots with another augmented soldier and not die. That and only lovers come to meet soldiers when they get back from a deployment."

Fred couldn't fight the logic, so he didn't bother. He kept his mouth shut. He thought it was a better option. The more he seemed to talk the more this woman seemed to find out. He wondered how much Kathleen had told them about him, if she'd told them anything at all.

The woman looked him over again. "Body is pretty good. I'd give it a seven, maybe an eight. Though might be better without the clothing." She turned her attention to his face. "Friendly looking face. I'd give it a six. Though the hair is a mess. How old are you?"

"I'm the same age as Kathleen." Fred didn't bother trying to cover who he was. He didn't really like this woman judging him. He didn't know her and she didn't know him.

"Well…then why is it already silver? I mean, Sarge doesn't have a single streak of gray in her hair." The woman crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

"I happen to like his hair." They all turned to look at Kathleen who was standing behind them. "Sorry if I'm not into Arian race psychotic killers." Kathleen moved through them and they moved out of her way. She moved to stand before Fred. Kathleen turned around to look at the marines. "Are you all bothering an officer? What have I told you about that?"

"It makes you have to do more paperwork and you hate paperwork." One of the male soldiers spoke up. He looked past Kathleen to Fred. "You really dating an officer. Not to mention a navy?"

"All Spartan IIs are navy." Kathleen turned to Fred. Her hands moved to his shoulder and leaned in. Fred met her half way. His arms wrapped around her waist as their lips touched. She deepened the kiss and it was almost a minute before they finally broke apart. When Fred looked behind her the soldiers were already gone.

Fred turned his attention back to Kathleen. "I'm glad to have you home." He kissed her forehead and pulled her against him.

Kathleen's hand moved up his neck and into his hair. "Just so you know, your hair is an eight, your face is a nine, and your body is a ten. Not that I'd ever let anyone really see your body." Kathleen smirked as she pulled him down to her. She kissed him lightly, holding him close. "So why did you come to meet me?"

Fred smirked. "I wanted to be romantic. You know, meet you when you arrived." Kathleen stopped, just staring at him. "What?"

Kathleen shook her head. "Nothing. I was just wondering if my father ever came to meet mother like this." Fred pulled her to his chest. From the way that she'd reacted he didn't think that it was a happy thought. She'd voiced a few times about her regret of not knowing her parents very well.

Kathleen rested her cheek on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Can't we just go home and have sex like we usually do when I get back?"

Fred nodded. "Sure, let's go home." Fred moved far enough away that he could take her hand and he pulled her toward their home.


	92. 010 I'm yours forever

010 I'm yours forever

Fred ran his hands over the white cloth of his officer uniform. He put the hat on his head and straightened it as he stood to wait. He looked to the door, hoping that she would show up soon. He was worrying that she'd changed her mind. That she'd decided not to come.

The door slid open and Kathleen walked in, dressed in her clean black uniform. Fred let out a sigh of relief, glad that she'd showed. "Sorry, my soldiers were following me. I had to…well they aren't following me anymore." She looked him over and then looked at her own uniform. "Isn't this backward?"

Fred shrugged. "I don't think either of us is really traditional, so it doesn't matter." He turned his attention to the chest of her uniform. "Didn't want to wear any of your ribbons?"

"I don't have any." Kathleen straightened her uniform. "All right, let's do this." She slipped her hand in his and they moved through the door on the other side of the room.

Fred looked around the room, being sure that there was no one else there. The only person in the room was the captain who was waiting for them. They hadn't wanted anyone there. At least Kathleen hadn't wanted anyone there. There had also been no time to really set things up. He'd only proposed to her the night before so it was very short notice.

The captain motioned them toward him. Fred and Kathleen moved to stand before the captain. "I'm glad you both made it. Would you like to do the traditional, or would you like to read your own vows?"

Fred looked to Kathleen. "I could come up with something. Can you?" He wasn't sure if she'd be willing to do such a thing in front of another person. She had a great dislike of doing anything emotional in front of another person.

Kathleen thought for a moment and then nodded. "I think I can make something up that would be acceptable."

The captain nodded. "All right, then we'll get started." Fred took both of Kathleen's hands and the Captain nodded to him to start.

Fred fished a ring from his pocket and then took her hands again. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Kathleen, you can be a hard person to get along with. You're a spirited, violent, killing machine, and I love every bit of it. There are so many years that we lost, so many that I wish we could have back so that we could spend them together. We can't get those years back, but I want to spend every last moment we have left together. I know that it won't be easy, but I'm willing to do anything for the time we have left. I take you now, and forever, as my wife." Fred slipped the wring onto her finger. He then retrieved the other ring and handed it to her.

Kathleen took the ring and then took Fred's hands. "I'm not great with words, you know that. I've always been better with actions, and I'm always used actions to express what I can't figure out how to say. The road ahead isn't easy, but I never back down from a challenge. This challenge, marriage, spending my life with you, I know that it's a challenge I wish we could have faced much earlier. I don't know what the future holds, but I'm ready to face whatever may be ahead of us, as long as we do it together." She paused for a moment before she spoke again. "I love you, Fred. I gladly take you as my husband for all that lies ahead of us." She slipped the ring on his finger and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Well, then I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The captain took a step back to allow the two some space.

Fred leaned in, kissing her gently. Usually he would deepen it but out of respect for the Captain he refrained. Kathleen didn't seem to mind. A kiss at all seemed to be more than she was willing to do in front of a man she didn't really know that well.

Kathleen turned to move out of the room and froze, suddenly becoming annoyed. "I am going to kill you." Her voice was low and angry. Fred almost would have called it a growl.

Fred turned to look the way she was and found a man leaning against the wall, watching them. His face was blank and he sort of reminded him of Kathleen. The man's blond hair was cut short and he had blue eyes that, while cold, held a hint of amusement. "Who is that?"

Kathleen moved across the room to him and glared down at the soldier. "I told all of you to stay in the barracks. I don't like my orders being disobeyed."

The man shrugged. "You were sneaking off to get married to that Lieutenant without telling us. You went to do anything without telling us. Though, it was so worth whatever you come up with." The man held out an item to Kathleen. She took it and the man moved from the wall, walking toward the door.

Fred moved over to stand beside Kathleen and looked down at the holographic still that was in her hand. The man had taken a picture just as they'd kissed. "Who was that guy?" He looked toward the door where the soldier was already gone.

"That was Edward. One of my soldiers. He is so getting the most boring and out of the excitement jobs on our mission." Kathleen scowled. "You remember when you met Emily, the only other woman on my team." Fred nodded. He remembered her. He remembered being judged by her. "That's who she was comparing you to."

Fred paused for a moment. "Well then she and I should get along fine. We both seem to have the same taste in people, just different genders."

Kathleen shook her head. "Emily has my sort of temper, but worse." Fred was surprised by that. When Kathleen was mad he didn't think there was any way a person could be madder then she was. "My other soldiers fight, she doesn't. She just knocks people out or they avoid fights with her. Edward once said that arguing with her was like arguing with a jaguar. Not a smart idea."

Fred took in the information, putting it what other information he had about Kathleen and her team. "You have an odd group of soldiers."

"Maybe, but they can fight like hell." Kathleen moved out of the door and Fred followed her. "Now, I don't want to talk about my team. As of now we are officially on our honeymoon. We have less then twenty-four hours to do whatever we want before I have to leave." She turned to Fred but kept walking. "Now, what shall we do?"


	93. 011 Next Step

011 Next Step

Kathleen still wasn't sure about all of this. She'd read through the pamphlets and she'd looked over all the information that Fred had given her. She's agreed, but she was still hesitant. Though at this point, they were too far to turn back. It was already done, and she'd just have to deal with her worries and fears over it all.

Kathleen had sort of been unhappy that she'd been out of system when the time had come, when the big moment happened. Fred had been here, he'd told her he caught all the good moments on camera and that he'd show them to her, but only after their visit. That was what they were doing now. Kathleen sort of feared it. She feared what would be waiting for her.

The warthog slowed to a stop outside of the medical bay and Fred turned it off. They sat in the jeep for a moment before he finally got out. Kathleen hesitated, not sure if she was really ready to face it. She felt like she needed a weapon, but she knew that was silly. It wasn't dangerous, but she always felt more comfortable with a gun on her hip.

"Kitten?" Kathleen looked at him and hit his arm out of reflex. "Well, at least you're conscious." He hadn't even flinched, not that she'd hit him that hard. He held his hand out and Kathleen took it. It would help to have something forcing her to move. He helped her out of the jeep and led her into the medical bay.

He led her through the clean hallways that she knew well to a part of the building that she'd never been in. They passed a room full of cribs with sleeping babies in them and moved further into the building. Fred brought her to a separate room and keyed a number into the lock on the door. "They are being kept secure so that no one that's not supposed to be near them gets in," Fred explained.

Kathleen didn't have a chance to prepare herself before the door slid open. There in the room stood a trio of cribs, like there had been in the other room, but only three. Kathleen didn't move until Fred pushed her a bit into the room. She slowly walked up to the cribs and looked in.

In the first crib was a small baby with dark black hair. It was curled up under a soft blue blanket, sleeping quietly. In the middle was another baby curled up in a blue blanket. Unlike the first this child had blond hair. In the third crib lay a small black haired baby curled up in a pink blanked. She looked them over, a bit confused.

"Fred, I thought we were only going to have one." She looked to her husband, wondering what had happened, or what he'd been keeping from her.

"Well, we had planned on one. I'm going to go with John's theory that Spartans just have more robust sperm, so more than one make it into an egg. I mean, even Tom and Lucy would have had two kids if Holly hadn't absorbed her twin in the womb." Fred was sure to keep his voice down so he didn't wake the kids.

Kathleen followed that lead. "Fred, we can't handle three kids. Even with me being stationed on base we can't handle three kids."

Fred put up his hands. "Kelly promised to help, and the base has plenty of child care systems to help us out. We'll be able to handle this, Kathleen. Didn't you say that some of your soldiers were parents now?"

Kathleen took a deep breath. "Their child is under a year old, and there's only one of her. Not to mention, those two are the only ones that I would trust to babysit, and I'm still worried that once their child can start walking they'll start teaching her to shoot."

Fred put his hands on Kathleen's shoulders. "Just take a deep breath. You and I know that we can do this. I swear, I didn't know there were three of them when you left on that trip. We thought there were two, but the third one surprised us. She was hiding behind her brothers."

Kathleen took a deep breath. She put it all into perspective, counted in all of their options, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure that we'll manage it, somehow." She looked toward the babies. "So do they have names yet?"

"Well they aren't young enough to really know if they have names, so no. I wanted to name them with you and we didn't really have that planned out." Fred looked to the cribs. "Do you have names in mind?"

Kathleen thought about it. "Well, tradition mandates that we name the son after you, and in my family we do that with the girls too."

"So then, we'll have Fredric jr. and Kathleen jr. and then an unnamed child." Fred looked down at the second boy. "I have no idea what to call him."

"No, that one should be Fredric." Kathleen motioned to the first child. "I say we name him Will." Fred frowned at her and Kathleen sighed. "He was our best friend, Fred, and no matter what was in the past, he always was our friend. He deserves the honor."

"It's not that. It's just that we'll have Kathleen, Fred, and Will. We're going to be naming them after our own little trio." Fred furrowed his brow. "It just seems weird."

"Well, I have absolutely no problem with it. We aren't remaking the old team, we're just naming them by tradition and honoring our fallen best friend. There's nothing wrong with it." Kathleen looked to the children. "Besides, what else would we call him?"

Fred paused for a moment as he tried to think of a name. "I don't know, what was your father's name?"

Kathleen snorted. "We are not calling him after my father. I will not have a son named Anthony." Kathleen crossed her arms. "Even my dad didn't like his name. I don't remember anyone that he was friends with calling him by that name." She struggled for a moment to remember what she had heard him called. "They always called him blade, I think. Never called him by his name."

"All right, all right, William it is. Come on, we should fill out the paper work and get all the information done. They said they wanted to do some sort of meeting. I think they want us to keep notes on how the kids are doing since this is the first time that this has been done."

Kathleen nodded. "Well I don't think humanity has ever had enough radiation that it's needed to take the reproduction and do it in a lab then have a surrogate birth." Kathleen didn't like it at all. There could be so many things that went wrong while the fetus were growing. She looked to the infants and then to Fred. "Let's go and get this over with." Fred nodded and lead the way out of the room.


	94. 012 Prescious Treasures

012 Precious treasures

Fred adjusted the cap to his Lieutenant's uniform, being sure that it was on straight. He looked in the mirror and smiled at his reflection. His uniform fit perfectly, which was a good thing as he'd slacked off a bit and he'd lost a bit of his muscle mass for a bit. He'd worked to get it back and it was nice to have the old uniform fit again.

"You look like a dork." Fred turned toward the voice and spotted Kathleen leaning unhappily against the wall. "Though all navy look like dorks."

Fred sighed and moved over to stand a bit away from her. "It's only one night, Nala." Kathleen rolled her eyes, a bit annoyed by his latest nickname for her. Though, it hadn't helped that Patrick had given her a copy of Lion King and the kids loved to watch it. Sure, they were only babies but it kept them entertained, and gave Fred and Kathleen some time away from having to deal with fussy, hungry, triplets. "I'm sure that you'll do fine"

Kathleen shook her head. "There are three of them and one of me, and I don't think I even rank as a trainee mother yet. I'm like still filing out the application."

"Oh come on, you know that's not true." Fred's hand moved out to take hers and Kathleen let him and he squeezed it. "You're a fine mother, and you can handle our precious treasures for one night. I'll be back in a few hours anyway."

Kathleen sighed and leaned toward him, resting her cheek on his chest. "All right, I'll try to manage for that long."

The two of them froze as a troublesome sound echoed through the house. A small, weak coughs. Kathleen moved away from Fred and through the house with him on her heels. They moved into the nursery and Kathleen moved to the crib in the middle. She looked down at the child inside, reaching down and picking her daughter up. Their daughter coughed again Kathleen looked to Fred.

Fred moved over and put a hand on Kathleen's shoulder. "It's just a cough, nothing big. Just stay calm." Fred kissed her cheek. "You'll be all right. Just stay calm and everything will be fine." He kissed the top of his daughter's head. "Now I have to go."

Fred walked through the house and Kathleen followed him, holding her daughter carefully. She watched him leave out of the front door and took a deep breath before moving back toward the nursery. "All right, I can do this. I am a woman after all. Just because I'm me doesn't mean I can't be a mother."

Her daughter coughed again and Kathleen turned, heading toward the living room. "It's all right, it's just a cough, it's completely normal." She sat down on the couch, rocking her daughter gently. It was only after ten minutes and the coughing only getting louder that she made a call. She thought of calling Fred, but called someone else.

It was about ten minutes later, her daughter still coughing a bit when there was a knock at the front door. Kathleen moved to the door and opened it. She motioned for Max to come inside.

"So your daughter has a cough?" Max moved closer to the infant and smiled at her. "Well hello there little future rebel killer."

"Would you just take a look at her? She's been coughing for a little while and I'm just nervous." Kathleen moved into the living room and Max followed.

"Well, I'm not a doctor of kids, but I can take a look, see what I can tell." Max moved to sit on the couch and Kathleen did as well. She put the baby on her knee and Max got to work. It was five minutes later when he was listening to her breathing that he looked up to Kathleen. "Ma'am, we should take her to the infirmary."

Kathleen stood up, holding her daughter close. "I'll go get her a blanket and you call Emily and Edward. Tell them I need them to take care of the kids." Max nodded and moved off to make the call. Kathleen held her daughter to her chest as she moved back to the nursery to get a jacket for Kathleen Jr.

~*~*~

Fred walked into his house and stopped as he heard the laughter of his children. He smiled, glad to know that Kathleen had gotten the hang of it. He walked into the living room but froze as he spotted the two people that were sitting on the couch. "Why are you here?"

The bond haired man who was sitting on one side of the couch with Will on his lap, laughing as he played with ODSK's tail looked to Fred. "Evening Lieutenant." Fred recognized him as one of Kathleen's soldiers and when he looked over to the woman beside the man he recognized her as the only other woman in Kathleen's team.

Fred moved to stand behind the couch. "Why are you two here?" he repeated. "Where is Kathleen?" Fred was getting a bit worried.

Fredric reached toward his dad so Emily stood up, carrying him over to Fred. "Sarge took the little demon to the infirmary. Said something about a cough that Max thought was bad." Emily handed over the child to his father.

Fred took the infant and cradled him against his chest. "She took Kathleen to the infirmary? It was just a little cough."

Emily shrugged. "She had Max come over to check her out and he said that something sounded off. Now they are in the infirmary and have been gone for a while. We've been looking after the boys."

Fred reluctantly passed Fredric back to Emily. "I'm going to go see what's going on." He turned and moved out of the house, heading for the infirmary.

~*~*~

Fred reached the infirmary and it wasn't hard to find Kathleen. She was sitting in the waiting room, head bowed. He moved to stand before her. "Please tell me that you're just over reacting." Kathleen looked up at him and the look on her face told him everything. She wasn't overreacting, something was wrong. Fred sat down in the seat beside her and pulled her to his side. She leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his body. "What's going on?"

Kathleen settled her cheek on his chest, holding onto him tightly. "They say something's wrong with her lungs. Some sort of illness." Fred held onto her tighter and they settled into silence as they waited for news.


	95. 013 Second Chance

013 Second Chance

Fred made his way into the barracks, having guessed that this was the right place to go. He'd looked over the buildings that were in use and when what this one was marked for didn't check out, he figured he had the right one. He could already hear music echoing faintly in the halls and he moved around, trying to find the source. That was where they'd be.

He finally found them in their barracks. A couple were sparing…actually just fighting on one side of the room while a group of them watched, taking bets on who would win. The rest were on their cots, polishing boots, sharpening knives, or reading datapads.

All action stopped when he walked into the room. The people stopped fighting and all of the soldiers turned to him. They seemed unsure, like they didn't know what to do. He knew that they knew his rank, he was even wearing his fatigues so his name and rank were stitched on his chest. It seemed more like they didn't know how to react to someone being in their barracks. He could tell that some of them were looking at him, not particularly happy. They must have been the ones he'd met last time. This was going to be his second chance to try to get them to like him.

The female soldier that he remembered from before moved to stand before him. "Can we help you?" She crossed her arms, standing tall, though it still left you almost two feet shorter than him.

Fred smiled a bit. "You are the team that is led by Sergeant Major Kathleen-113?" Emily nodded. "I'm Lieutenant Fredric-104. I'm married to Kathleen. I've heard a lot about all of you and wanted to meet you." He looked around at them, trying to avoid feeling nervous. It was hard. It felt like they were all judging him.

The soldiers all moved to gather around the doorway and Fred was glad that they at least hadn't backed him into a corner. "You know when Edward told us that Sarge had married you, we really didn't believe him. I mean, I would think that she could do better than a navy man."

Fred frowned at that. "For your information when Kathleen and I started seeing each other we were both navy. That was back during our training." Fred looked around the crowd. Some of them seemed fine, others seemed a bit happy, while a few seemed annoyed. He hoped the last ones were just protective.

"Does the Sergeant know that you're here?" James asked.

Fred shook his head. "I found my own way here. I didn't want her to know or she'd want to be here and she'd just glare at you all and force you to like me. I don't want fake approval, I want to earn it." A few of the soldiers seemed to relax at that. Good, then they could be swayed.

"All right, quick rundown of who we are. I'm Tobias, specialize in close combat." Tobias started to point at each soldier as he introduced them. "James, likes to use big weapons and do damage. Matthew his partner and can break any lock. David, stealth specialist. Max, medic and able to fix you up using duck tape and a cracker. Patrick, our hacker and tech." Well at least that explained why she seemed to know about everything happening on base. "Tym, explosives expert and likes to burn things, so don't leave your things unattended. Peter, crack shot. His partner Luke, ace pilot. Edward, can kill anything and we're fairly sure he was a serial killer." Edward glared at Tobias. "The only girl on our team is Emily, congratulate her since she's four weeks pregnant."

Fred smiled at the female soldier. "Congratulations," he looked to Edward. "To the both of you." The blond haired soldier nodded in response.

"So _Fredric_ why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" Max moved to a cot and sat down. The other soldiers did as well, all watching Fred.

Fred sat down on one of the cots and decided where to start. "I've known Kathleen since I was six, started to have a relationship with her around the age of…twelve or so. Thought she was dead for about three decades, found her, and then married her. I've served the since the start of the Human-Covenant War. I've been in over 120 engagements, including the Battle of Reach, the Battle for Earth, and the Battle of Onyx. I am the current highest ranking Spartan and still assist with leading the Spartans if they are called in for any sort of duty."

The soldiers seemed to take in the information and Fred waited for one of them to speak. Tobias was the first to speak. "Do you make Sarge happy?"

Fred was a bit surprised. "You can't tell?"

The soldiers gave a collective shrug. "Sarge is all normal around us. She loves this job, so she's happy here. Doesn't have anything to do with how she feels when she's around you," Matthew explained.

"Well I'm sure she's happy." Fred couldn't think of a reason why she wouldn't be. "I mean, if she wasn't happy I would think she'd dump me as soon as she could. She's a good enough looking woman that she doesn't really have to just stick to me to get her physical needs met. Also, I don't think she would have married me if she wasn't happy."

"He does have a point." David glanced at Tym who nodded in agreement. "So then, do you meet her physical needs?"

Fred felt a bit odd about that question. He knew the answer right away but it just felt strange. He found it strangely odder that they had asked it that way, like they were avoiding admitting that him and Kathleen were sleeping together. Like saying that they were having sex was just not all right for them. He'd never met marines that weren't fine with talking about their teammates getting laid. "Yes. Or at least she hasn't complained, and knowing Kathleen if she was not satisfied she would complain."

"Well then we should have no problem with you, other than the fact that you're navy." Tobias seemed to relax and so did Tym. Once they had the rest of the team relaxed.

~*~*~

When Kathleen entered the barracks she knew something was different. She couldn't hear the sounds of anyone fighting and even for her soldiers it wasn't a time of day that they tended to be training. She made her way to the barracks and heard it. Her soldiers were debating about how to kill a grunt. She walked into the door and saw what she wasn't expecting.

Fred was lying on her cot, her soldiers either laying or sitting on their own cots or sharing cots as they talked about it. Fred spotted her and grinned. "How about you? What's your favorite way?"

She knew what he was asking. He was asking how she liked to kill grunts, though she hadn't done that in so long. "Kicking them in the head. Usually it's when I'm stealing a ghost so then I get the added bonus of getting to run them over with their own vehicle." She moved across the room and stood before Fred. "Now, would you mind telling me what you think you're doing here?"

"Well, I've never met your soldiers so I decided to make a visit and get to know them. Honestly I should have expected what they were like." Fred stood from the cot and smiled at her.

"Fine, you met them, now listen up. I've got news." Kathleen turned to her soldiers. "The project's gone through. As of right now I want you all to start fleshing out ideas for it." She then turned back to Fred. "You and I are going home. I'll be back in…four hours probably to see what you've got." She grabbed Fred's collar and pulled him out of the barracks.

Fred had no idea what just happened. "Wait, what did you mean the project's gone through?" He moved so that he was walking at the same pace as her and she no longer had to pull on his shirt.

"I mean the project that would have us stay on base was approved." Kathleen pulled him outside to a warthog that was waiting for them. "I'd been planning on telling my soldiers and then coming home and waiting for you to get home. Seems you wanted to make it a one-stop-shop."

Fred wrapped his arms around her in a hug and kissed her cheek. Kathleen squirmed a bit, not comfortable with the public show of affection, particularly not where her soldiers could see it. Fred finally released her. "This is great. They're almost finished with our house, you're going to be on base, and I think I've found a form of alternative parenthood that you'll approve of." Fred moved around the car and climbed into the driver's seat.

Kathleen climbed into the passenger's seat. "I hope you have a good argument and a power point with some explosions in it."

Fred grinned. "I don't have a power point but I did get a movie with explosions in it." He shifted into gear and drove back toward their home.


	96. 014 Endearing Words

014 Endearing words

Fred frowned down at her though she ignored it. "I am not like John." Every time he said those words Kathleen couldn't help but smile. She'd heard those words so many times in the past and each and every time she enjoyed it. Not only did it frustrate him but it usually caused an interesting reaction. She'd used it plenty in the past to get him to do new and adventures things. Those five endearing words had been the basis of a lot of the steps they'd taken in their relationship.

"Oh." Her hand moved up and ran lightly over his chest. "And how exactly are you different from him?" He would usually come up with several things that weren't the same about them and she'd come up with all the ways he was wrong.

"What's the point? You always argue against whatever I say. I just don't see why I should waste my time trying to convince you." Fred moved to lie on his own side of the bed. He was obviously annoyed. Not the sort of slight annoyed that he usually got when she compared him to the Master Chief.

Kathleen sighed and moved over to lie on his chest. She frowned as he didn't react to her. Usually he would have put his arms around her, not just ignored her. "You going to tell me what's wrong? You don't usually get this upset."

"I'm just tired of it." Kathleen could tell that he was tired. "I mean, all the time you compare me to him. Am I ever going to be good enough for you?"

Kathleen frowned and moved so that her arms were crossed on his chest and she was holding herself up a bit. "Now just a moment. I have never said that being compared to John meant you were less than him. I said you're like him, that's not bad. He's fought the flood, taken on ships full of enemies without another Spartan at his side. He led blue team for years. He's destroyed a Halo, and destroyed the Ark. Being compared to him is being compared to the poster boy of the UNSC. What they show to people as an example of how great soldiers can be."

"But I'm not him. I haven't done any of those things. I'm not John, even if you want me to be." Fred turned away from her.

"I never wanted you to be John." Kathleen's words caused him to turn to her. She could see the confusion on his face. "I simply said you were like him. You've led the Spartans like him, you're a husband, and you fought to save Earth." Kathleen moved to straddle him so that her back wouldn't be at such an odd angle. "Though there are plenty of differences. John isn't an officer, he had a hard time adjusting to a peaceful life, you're better with a knife than he is, you've never been in the spotlight so you still get to have a relaxed life after the war, and most importantly, he's not the one I want in my bed. I love you, and I have never loved him." Kathleen leaned down and gently kissed him. She pulled back just a little bit and smirked. "Also, you learned the technique. John never took lessons."

Fred frowned at her. He never liked being reminded of that "lesson" and he hated when she brought it up. "Well, I can tell you of one more thing I'm better at then John." Fred smirked at her and rolled so that their positions were switched. He pinned her down to the bed and kissed her firmly. He pulled away and his mouth dipped lower.


	97. 015 Return to me

015 Return to me

Fred's arms were wrapped tightly around her, keeping her in place. Kathleen was trying to push him away but it wasn't working all that well. She could have used enough force to push him away but that seemed like it would be cruel right now. Instead she stopped fighting him and just let him hold her. What harm could it really do?

The problem was that they'd been like this for about ten minutes, which was too long. She should be getting ready for the trip. If pushing him away wasn't working maybe being straight with him and just telling him would work. "All right, you can let me go now."

Fred held on tighter nuzzling against her hair. "I don't want you to go. I thought we were done with this. Why is it you have to go?"

Kathleen understood why he was upset. They'd both gotten used to her being at home, and she knew that it upset him that she was leaving on a trip. "It's not a combat mission. It's a peaceful missions. You don't need to worry about me." He hand moved up to his hair, grabbing some of it and forcing him to pull his head away. He looked down at her, scowling, obviously not liking the use of force. "Fred, you need to stop being overly protective. I can handle myself."

She released his hair but Fred didn't release his hold. Fred only shifted his arms around her waist to a more comfortable position. "You're still going far away, and still not everyone is happy with the whole elites and humans being friends. Besides, I'm going to miss you."

"Yeah, and when you're usually worried about me being away, you do what I let only you do to me. You don't usually try to keep me from going at all." Kathleen smirked so he would catch her drift.

Fred returned the smirk. "Oh, I do do that, and I do it well." He leaned down and kissed her temple. "After all I have to give you some reason to come home."

Kathleen pushed him and this time he finally let her go. She moved through the house and he followed her. She moved to their room and grabbed a bag out of the closet. Fred moved to sit on the bed and she set the bag down beside him. "It will only be for a couple days, Fred. Not a big deal. I'm not even taking the team with me so if you need help with the kids you can call any of them." She moved to the dresser and started to pull out a few sets of clothing.

Fred stood from his spot and shut the bedroom door, being sure that he locked it before he moved back to his side of the bed. "I know it will only be a few days. That doesn't make it any easier. A couple days, a couple weeks, all of it is too long for you to not be around. I hate when you even go on night exercises. I like going to sleep, curled up with you."

Kathleen finished packing away the things and zipped up the bag. "I know you do. I know you also don't like waking up after I've left in the morning. Why do you think I wake you up when I wake up?" She moved over to sit on her side of the bed.

"You do wake me up. At least you also let me go back to sleep when we're done." Fred moved over on the bed so that he was as close to her as he could get without moving to lie on her. His hand moved to her arm and he leaned forward, resting his head against hers.

Kathleen sighed leaning against him. "You'll be fine without me, Fred. You just need to keep reminding yourself that I'm safe, not in harm's way, and will be home soon."

Fred didn't say anything right away. His hand moved up to her hair and he moved so he could look her in the eyes. "I'll let it all go, if you promise you'll return to me."

Kathleen sighed but figured that if it helped him sleep at night, she could do it. "I promise you, Fred, that I will come home to you."

Fred let out a long breath and nodded. "All right, I'll let you go, but only for a few days." Fred smirked and moved to place a quick kiss on her lips.

Kathleen kept him from moving too far away from her. "Do you remember what we used to do the day before I'd leave?" Fred smiled and nodded. "Well it seems like such a good tradition to keep. Why stop now?" Kathleen smirked and closed the space between them.


	98. 016 Moments behind closed doors

016 Moments behind closed doors

Fred watched as Kathleen grabbed Mark in a head lock. The younger Spartan tried to get out of her grip but she was holding tight and he couldn't break free. Kathleen's leg wrapped around the Spartan III's and she forced her weight against him. They fell to the ground and Mark let out a pained shout as her weight landed on him. "Come on. I've seen first day boots that fight better than this." Kathleen grinned, rather enjoying the exercise.

"Try not to break him. It's his turn to cook dinner tonight?" Linda sat beside the mat, smirking as she watched Mark try to fight off the Spartan II. Mark struggled but Kathleen was still gripping him tight.

"Oh, be nice to the boy. Let him have at least a bit of a chance." Kelly laughed as she sat beside Linda, watching the show. "He had no idea what he was getting himself into."

Kathleen released Mark and moved away from him quickly. "All right, I'll put my left arm behind my back. That should make it fairer." Kathleen tucked her arm behind her back and grinned as she waited for Mark to attack again.

"She's gotten better." Fred looked to his side where John was sitting when the Master Chief spoke. "I think she has you beat as the strongest Spartan at hand-to-hand."

Fred shook his head. "Remember she isn't a Spartan. I've been bruised in the arm enough times for calling her one to have learned that rule." Fred grinned as Kathleen's palm smacked into Mark's chest and sent him flying back. Her left arm was still tucked behind her back.

"I don't see why you stand that. I mean, if Kelly hit me every time that I did something that annoyed her or something, I wouldn't stay with her. Why do you take that sort of abuse?" John frowned at his friend, half watching the fight before them.

"Once you learn why she does it to you, or what causes it, I just avoid it and she doesn't hit me. Most of the time it's only a light hit. She's only hit me really hard once since we met back up, and I was fine." Fred watched Kathleen as she taunted the Spartan III some more. "It's how Kathleen is. She's a violent person, but she has never been truly violent toward me."

"But she did that back during training. You put up with it for so long." John frowned, not understanding why he allowed it to happen. "You could have always fought back. You could have taught her that she can't just hit you for saying a word or calling her something harmless."

"No I couldn't have. You don't know Kathleen like I do. Kathleen is tough on the outside, but at moments behind closed doors she can be sweet and loving. It took me a long time to really see under that tough outside to find my wife inside." Fred smiled as Kathleen's elbow slammed into the back of Mark's head and he fell to the ground. "Besides, she would have beaten the crap out of me back then. She was always better than me at hand-to-hand combat."

"You think you could beat her today?" John watched as Kathleen placed her boot on Mark's head and stood over him, asking the other Spartan IIIs if they want to give it a try.

"Oh, not at all. She would use dirty tactics, or just punch me in the face. Either way, I wouldn't win." Fred sat up a bit as Kelly accepted Kathleen's challenge and the two women faced off. "This could be interesting."

John watched the two women as they charged forward and the fight began. "I'm sure this will be very entertaining."


	99. 017 Here and Now

017 Here and Now

"Do we really need that much information at this time?" Kathleen raised an eyebrow at Fred who was trying to plan out the next day. "I mean, it's supposed to be a day of fun. Why don't you just leave it a little open? Haven't you ever heard of living in the moment, the here and now? You know, do something spontaneously."

"Yeah, I've tried doing that. Your reflexes usually end up causing me pain." Fred leaned back on the couch. "Why are you so against planning things out? Didn't you plan things out when you were in combat?"

Kathleen shook her head and moved over to sit beside him. "We sort of had a loos plan, but the details were made up on the fly. We didn't trust our intel, only out eyes." Kathleen leaned back on the couch so she could look at Fred. "You need to have a plan that can change if needed, like if you're attacking a patrol of grunts lead by an elite but then suddenly a pair of hunters charges you. Our kids are like little hunters that can cause just as much damage."

Fred grinned and chuckled. "They aren't that bad. Sure, they can be destructive, but they can't destroy a tank with a single swing of a shield." Fred glanced down at his schedule for the day tomorrow. "So what should my plan be if not what I've created?"

"Well, the basic plan should be, go into town, go the museum, and then go to dinner. That's a loose enough plan that if, say Freddy gets sick or something, we can still work around it. Not to mention, it means that if John and Kelly or Emily and Edward have a problem with their kids, then it can be handled."

"I still can't believe that he likes being called Freddy." Fred shook his head. "I mean, it's such a childish form of the name."

"Fred, he's five. He's a child, so it's completely reasonable for him to want to be called something childish. I'm sure at some age he'll decide between Fredric and Fred. Though I'm not looking forward to those years." Kathleen leaned a bit against Fred's shoulder.

"I thought you would be. They'd be more independent, soon to be getting out of the house so that we can have back our alone time." Fred slid an arm around Kathleen's waist and pulled her to his side.

"It means they are growing up. It means they'd be leaving, starting families and finding careers. Also think of how old we'll be." Kathleen groaned. "By that point they'll be trying to get me to retire."

"Would it be so bad to retire? Spend your days sitting on the couch with me? Maybe going for walks in the park, just the two of us. Having the proper time to cook. Have more time to be romantic." Fred leaned over and placed a kiss on the edge of her jaw to accent his final remark.

"Most of that sounds boring, except the last part. I'm an active person, Fred. I don't like sitting around. I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't a soldier." Kathleen scowled and shuddered a bit. "A life of quiet peace just doesn't suit me."

"Well I'm sure that you can get a position like Kelly or something. Though I'm sure that she will retire about the time they try to force you out. Maybe you can just take over running the testing department." Fred turned his gaze to the carpet, not sure what else to look at. "What about your troops?"

"They've all talked about it. Teaching positions in the academy usually. Experience is worth a lot in those positions, and they have experience." Kathleen slouched a bit. "They all have it planned out, and without a team I have no idea what I'll do."

"Maybe you can find a teaching job as well. You know a lot about the elites, don't you?" Kathleen nodded. "Well maybe you could teach a class about them."

"They already have people that study the elites, Fred. I don't think they want someone that has a degree or something." Kathleen turned a bit so that she could wrap both of her arms around him.

"Well how many of those people with degrees have ever talked to an elite? How many know one personally and have fought alongside one. I'm talking a class about actually fighting with one on your team. Not many people have ever fought with an elite. You can even have John in as a special guest as one of the few others who fought alongside the Arbiter." Fred moved to the side as well, leaning back so they could lay on the couch. Kathleen's cheek settled on his shoulder as she relaxed with him. "After all, fighting and working with them is different than understanding culture."

"Maybe, but that's still far off in the future. For now they are still just little kids." Kathleen moved one of her legs so that it was wrapped around Fred's. She sat up a bit and smirked down at him. "We have an hour and a half until the kids get home from school." Fred smirked up at her before she closed the space between them.


	100. 018 Chasing Butterflies

018 Chasing butterflies

Kathleen sat back on the bench shaking her head a bit as she watched Fred running around with the children in the field, chasing butterflies. "Sometimes I think he's more of a kid than they are." Kelly glanced toward Edward who was sitting beside her.

"Well one parent has to be good with the kids. Though I'll admit to being surprised." Edward looked to Emily who was kneeling down before their daughter, holding out her hands where a blue butterfly was sitting, wings opening and closing lazily. There was a look of wonder in his daughter's bright blue eyes.

"I guess that is true." Kathleen watched as Will talked to his sister. Kathleen Jr. nodded and the two children edged toward a butterfly. Kathleen raised an eyebrow. The two children pounced, but the butterfly just flew away. They ended up colliding and falling to the ground.

Kathleen watched Will complain while Kathleen Jr. did her best to keep herself from crying. Kathleen stood up and moved across the field toward their daughter. By the time she reached her daughter Fred was already kneeling beside them. Kathleen looked down at her daughter who wouldn't look up at her.

The seven-year-old daughter of Emily and Edward ran over to them. "Look what I caught?" She opened her hand and showed them all a small black and red butterfly. "Isn't it awesome?"

Kathleen noticed that her daughter crossed her arms, pouting a bit. Kathleen turned to her god-daughter. "It's very nice, Kathleen. Why don't you go show your father?" The little blond haired girl grinned and turned, running off. Kathleen turned back to her children. "You both did well trying to catch that butterfly." She put a hand on her children's heads. Will looked up at her, his sky blue eyes fully focused on her, listening intently. Kathleen Jr. wouldn't look at her. The little girl's chocolate brown eyes staring at the grass instead.

Freddy moved over to his siblings and held his hands out. In the palm of his hands was the bright orange and black butterfly that his siblings had tried to catch. "I guess you guys scared him to me." There was a grin plastered on her son's face that almost looked just like Fred when he grinned.

"Hey, that butterfly is ours." Will made a grab for it but Freddy tried to move his hands away. The sudden movement caused the butterfly to take flight. "Now look what you did!" Will complained.

Kathleen's hands struck out quickly, grabbing the butterfly from the air in cupped hands. She turned back to her children and held her hands between them. "Now, no fighting or accusing each other. You caught this butterfly as a team. Kat and Will scared the butterfly and it ended up landing right on Freddy's hands. If you hadn't scared it, it wouldn't have landed on Freddy, and if he hadn't been there for it to land on, you would have just scared it away to where you couldn't catch it."

Kathleen opened her hands slowly and the children gathered around to look at it. She could feel Fred move up behind her and lean down so that he could whisper to her. "And you didn't even want to have kids."

Kathleen smirked at him and then looked back to her kids. "Your father just told me he's going teach you all how to hunt frogs."

The kids all cheered and ran toward the lake. Fred frowned at Kathleen. "You know I don't like frogs. Not since you put one in my—" Fred was cut off as Kathleen shoved him toward the lake.

"Your children are waiting." Kathleen glanced back to see Kathleen pulling Edward toward the lake. "You'll have Edward to help you." She pushed Fred again and he sighed, moving toward the lake and his waiting children.


	101. 019 New Life

019 New Life

Kathleen didn't want to admit how much this moment hurt. She was watching as William brought down his only bag and put it with his sibling's. She had known this day was coming, but she didn't think it would feel like this. Kathleen Jr. and William were both heading off for boot camp and Fredric was leaving for medical school. She looked at the four bags sitting on the floor. She didn't know what to say, or if there was anything to say.

"Well, we'll be able to contact you probably after we get a bit of a routine in boot, mom. I'll be sure to write when I have something to tell you." Kathleen moved to her daughter and hugged her. "We're going to make you proud, mom."

"Well show all the other marines how it's properly done." William motioned to Fredric. "And we swear that we'll completely deny any relation to a medic." Fredric frowned at his brother.

"There's no shame in being related to a medic. Just tell them he was the runt." Kathleen moved over to her shortest son and pulled him into a hug. "Though never underestimate a runt." She released her son a bit. "Emily was the smallest of my soldiers but she could put up one hell of a fight."

"Thanks, mom." Fredric smiled at her. "Besides, they won't be complaining as much when my healing skills are saving their butts. Dad said that you had a pension for getting into trouble. I can't think the two of them won't be that different."

"I hope they don't. I was a reckless soldier with my physical health. It sometimes cost us more time than it saved." Kathleen moved over to William and hugged him. "Remember to be careful, and rely on your teammates. The best weapon you'll have is your team. We managed to do things that usually required a Spartan laser with just our hands with some well oiled teamwork." Kathleen released him and took a step back, looking at her kids. It was hard to believe at one point she would have hit a person for saying she'd have kids, but here she was finding it hard to think of life without them.

"All right, I've got the camera." Fred walked in motioning to the group. "Everyone gather around." The three kids gathered around and Fred snapped a photo. "Now get in there, Kathleen." Kathleen moved in, standing behind her children, beside her daughter. If she didn't then she would have been standing in the way. Even with Spartan genetics that had made them rather tall, their children had come out shorter than either Fred or Kathleen.

"It's not that big of a deal. Fredric will be in school for years, and he'll be coming back all the time to annoy you two," William pointed out.

"I still can't believe you went with Fredric." Fred grumbled as he snapped another shot. Kathleen moved from the kids and took the camera so that Fred could take her place.

"I like Fredric. It sounds more distinguished, and I feel like a person will have more confidence in my skills if they know me as Fredric. I mean, Fred just doesn't seem quite proper enough for a doctor." Fredric smiled as Kathleen took a photo.

Fred moved from the kids and walked over to Kathleen. Kathleen Jr. took the camera from her mother and looked through the photos. "Damn, my hair has gotten long."

Fred put an arm around Kathleen's shoulder and smiled at his daughter. "Don't worry, they'll shave it for you at boot."

"I hope they do." Kathleen Jr. lifted the camera and the flash went off. "See, you two don't take a bad picture when you have no idea that it's coming."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kathleen moved over to her daughter, looking down at the camera. "That isn't a bad picture." She was a bit surprised, since she and Fred always seemed to look bad in photos.

"Oh, there's one other person I need a photo of." Kathleen Jr. moved through the house and her siblings just shrugged. She came back a minute later, showing her mother the screen. "I almost forgot ODSK."

Kathleen sighed at the picture. "Seriously, we should have been able to come up with a name for her. We can't just keep naming our cats after the one ahead of them."

"Why, isn't that how we're going to be naming out kids? I mean, I'm Kathleen three in the family, aren't I?" Kathleen Jr. shrugged. "I figured I'd name my daughter Kathleen if I ever have one."

"Wait, then what does that make the other Kathleen?" William took the camera and looked at the photos. "I'd like a copy of the one of you and dad. Though I wish we had one of you two in military uniform or something."

"Edward and Emily's daughter is technically the first Kathleen in their family." Kathleen paused for a moment. "I think we might have a good one of your father and I in dress. From that metal ceremony or whatever it was."

"I hate that photo." Fred scowled. "Well, actually it's a good photo, I just don't like the event that it was taken at. We didn't deserve those metals."

Kathleen rolled her eyes and turned to William. "I'll send you a copy of the photo when I find it." Kathleen smiled at her children. "I'm sure you'll all do just fine in your chosen paths."

"Thanks, mom." Fredric moved to his mother, kissing her on the cheek. "I'll see you guys at winter break. Maybe sooner if I decide to come back for thanks giving."

As Fredric moved on to his father, hugging Fred tightly, William moved to his mother. "Thank you mom, for everything. I promise, I'll make you and dad very proud. You always said you saw a leader in me, so I promise you, somehow, I'm going to live up to that potential."

"I saw the same thing in your father when we were kids. Just remember not to be afraid to stand in the spotlight. You'll do more good standing out than blending in." Kathleen hugged him and let him go.

William moved on to his father and Kathleen Jr. hugged her mother. "Thanks for being my role model, mom. I swear I'll be better than Kathleen the first." She smiled at her mother and Kathleen smiled back.

"Well, we should get moving." William moved over to his bag and picked it up. "Come on, Kat, we don't want to be late." Kathleen Jr. gave her father a quick hug before grabbing her own bag and moved out of the door.

"I'll see you guys soon. I don't want to miss my shuttle." Fredric grabbed his two bags and moved out of the door as well.

Kathleen moved over and shut it, turning to her husband. "Well, now we've got an empty home."

"We're still here." Fred moved over to her and his hands settled on her side. She leaned into his chest and Fred smiled down at her. "Whatever can we do with a house without children in it?"

Kathleen chuckled and lifted her head from his chest. "I suppose we could make more." She smirked up at him, her hands moving up his chest to his neck.

Fred grinned at her and lifted her up, putting her over his shoulder. "To the bedroom it is."

"Why the bedroom? We have an empty house. We could do it on the kitchen floor." Kathleen reluctantly let him carry her, though she wasn't exactly comfortable.

"Kitchen floors too hard for what I have planned." Fred's hand squeezed a bit of soft flesh and Kathleen let out a little sound of surprise.


	102. 020 Shared Joy

020 Shared Joy

Kathleen's hand gripped Fred's as she watched her son. William was standing beside the white cake and cutting through it with a knife that he and his wife held. Fred squeezed her hand back and Kathleen leaned a bit against him. "You know I didn't think that he would be the first to get married."

Fred frowned at Kathleen, confused. "What do you mean? I think that it's completely reasonable that William would be married. Why he had to choose her I have no idea." Fred shook his head as he watched William and Kat feeding each other cake.

"It's not that. I just figured that Fredric would be the first to marry." Kathleen's arm lightly hit Fred's shoulder. "What's wrong with her? She's the fine product of ODSS breeding. She managed to get all the best parts of her parents, without her father's questionable mental condition." Fred stared at her, not understanding. "Oh, right, you've never seen him in combat."

"Have we been letting a crazy man near our kids?" Fred glanced over to the table where Kathleen Jr. was sitting with a man. Fred didn't know the man, but he was cracking jokes and Kathleen Jr. was laughing at whatever he said.

"He's not crazy, just very good at killing." Kathleen looked in the direction that Fred was looking. "Oh, leave her be. At least she brought a date. Fredric said his just couldn't make it."

Fred smirked at her. "Oh, so you don't believe our kids." He leaned toward her, placing a quick kiss on her cheek. "I'm sure he was just embarrassed to have her around this crowd." Fred indicated the group, which was mostly ODST. It consisted of the ODSS and the ODST in both Kat and Fredric's teams.

"There is nothing wrong with the people here. They are all fine marines." Kathleen chuckled, as she watched Luke and Peter start to argue over something.

Their gaze turned to Kat and William as they moved out to the dance floor. They watched as the newly married couple danced together to a slow song. Kathleen smiled at the sight, sharing in the joy that hung in the air. "You know we never had a first dance as a couple."

"You and I have never been for the traditional dance." Fred pulled her a bit closer and moved to whisper in her ear. "You and I are bigger fans of a different dance."

Kathleen sighed and raised an eyebrow. "I managed to behave myself all day. Who is it that cracks a dirty joke first? You." She shook her head a bit and turned suddenly as William moved over to her.

"Mom, would you mind if I had this dance?" Willem held out his hand and Kathleen could see Edward leading Kat out of the dance floor. Kathleen took William's hand and let him pull her out to the dance floor.

She danced with her son, basically just following his motions so that she didn't step on his feet. "I'm glad you're dancing with me, mom. I know you usually avoid this kind of thing."

"Well at the most I'll only have to do it twice. And none of the Spartans are around, so I'm willing to suck it up for you." Kathleen smiled at her son and he smiled back.

Kat cut in and Kathleen gladly allowed William to dance with his wife. Kathleen moved back over to Fred and sat down at a table with him. They sat and enjoyed the party for the next couple hours. The party went on for some time longer but Fred and Kathleen decided to head home, letting the ODST party hard while they decided they'd rather leave the teams to their fun.

Kathleen sat down on the couch, relaxing back. She looked over at Fred, trying to figure out what he was doing. He turned around toward her and walked over to the couch, holding his hand out to her. She looked at him, confused.

"I know you're not big on public stuff, so I thought," Fred clicked a button on a remote and soft music started to play. Fred put down the remote and turned back to her. "I thought we'd have that dance we never got."

Kathleen smiled at him, taking his hand. She stood up and they moved into the more open area of the living room. Kathleen's arms wrapped around Fred's neck while his arms moved around her waist. They started to move slowly to the music. Kathleen rested her head against his shoulder and leaned into him.

"You know we really didn't do that bad. We managed to raise three kids that are all fairly normal." Fred rested his head against hers. "I love you, Kathleen."

"I love you too, Fred." Kathleen nuzzled against his neck, closing her eyes.


	103. Redhead

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title: Redhead**

"So what do you think?" John looked to Kelly as she moved into the barracks. She ran a hand through her hair which was out of its usual ponytail. Usually John would have found Kelly with her hair down attractive, but this time, he didn't have the familiar desire to run his hands through it.

"Why did you dye your hair?" John scowled as she moved over to the cot beside his and sat down. "And why red?" John let his displeasure leek into his voice.

Kelly frowned, not understanding why he was upset. "I wanted something new. I thought that dying my hair would be the easiest thing that I could do without making any sort of change someone would notice."

"You shouldn't have done it." Kelly's shoulders slumped at John's words. He watched as she grabbed a hair tie and tied it back in as she usually did. "If you wanted to do something different you should have braided it."

"Well I wanted to do something more original then just changing my hair style. Do you really not like it?" Kelly lay back on her cot, making herself comfortable.

"It looked better before." John watched her relax on the bed. "If you were going to dye it a color, why not blue?" John set aside his datapad and turned his full attention to the woman.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "You do realize that just because we are blue team doesn't mean that we had to do things that are all blue." Kelly shook her head a bit. "That wouldn't be original at all. Besides, red is an actual human hair color."

John frowned. "I hadn't thought about the connection with our team." Kelly frowned at him, obviously confused so he explained. "Your hair was dyed blue the first day that I met you. You broke the fingers of several people when they tried to cut your hair. They had to pin you down." A smile spread over John's face at the memory of a six-year-old Kelly being pinned down by a group of DIs so that her hair could be cut.

Kelly looked over at him, a look on her face that John couldn't identify. "I can't believe you remember that." Kelly stood up and moved over to John's cot, lying down beside him. "Unfortunately I can't remove the dye."

John instinctively put his arm around her. "Well you can always just wait for it to grow out a bit then cut it short to where it's brown. If you want then you can let it grow out."

"Are you trying to tell me that you like my hair short and brown?" Kelly raised an eyebrow as she moved her head so it was on his chest.

"Well, I don't mind it long." John's fingers moved to play with a few strands of her ponytail which was draped over her shoulder. "Though it does look rather cute short. I liked the way you had it back during training." John twirled the bit of hair. "Another tip, I don't like redheads."

Kelly moved to lay on his chest. "Really?" She seemed very surprised by the information. "I thought you liked people with red hair?"

"What would give you that idea?" Kelly just shrugged in reply to his question. She settled on his chest and closed her eyes. John just looked down at the woman on his chest. He found it interesting how easily he allowed himself to feel for her. He'd cut off so much emotion when it came to being the leader of his team, but at a moment like this, just lying here, he felt that warm feeling in his chest that he had identified as what people considered love. The problem was such emotion was making it harder to be willing to put her out in the line of fire in combat. He knew he had to, but he felt like he hesitated more when he knew there was a higher risk.

He closed his own eyes, pushing those thoughts away. He didn't want to think about that, even if eventually he'd have to deal with the effects that their relationship was having on his ability to utilize her in the field. For now he would just sleep contently with Kelly in one of the few relaxed moments they had.


	104. Sigma

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Sigma**

John made his way from the medical bay. He'd gone to check up on James after their recent mission to see if he'd make it. The medics said that he would live, and they planned on replacing the part of his arm that had been blasted away. John was glad to know that his teammate would be all right, but the image of those monstrous Covenant was burned in his mind. They were like walking tanks and just the memory of them made him feel vulnerable as he walked through the hallways without his armor.

He didn't really understand why they'd taken his armor at all. The tech had something about cleaning it, something about it smelling bad. Whatever it was he couldn't smell it, but then again he'd spent so much time in the suit and it had an air filtration system. Maybe walking through the sewers had made their armor dirty and he hadn't been able to smell it through the system. It would explain why the techs seemed to be holding their breaths while they'd removed his armor.

He moved toward the locker rooms, determined to take a shower. He stopped as soon as he walked in, surprised to find someone else there. All the other Spartans should be done with washing up since he'd taken longer because he'd gone to see James. Even odder, it was Kelly. She was usually the first one to get things done, even showering.

She turned toward him as he entered the room. "Hey John, what took you so long?" She was just putting her shirt in her locker and was removing the simple black sports bra.

"I stopped to see James." Kelly stopped and looked to him, her eyes hopeful as she waited for him to report on their teammate's status. John moved to his locker and opened it. "The medics say that he'll make a full recovery." John could hear Kelly let out a breath. He removed his shirt and put it into the locker.

"I'm glad to know that he's all right." John looked to Kelly as she spoke. She removed her bra and put it into the locker. John didn't try to hide the fact that he took a good look at her chest before he returned to undressing. "So what do you think of those things?"

John undid his belt, but froze as she mentioned the new alien they'd met. His mind went to work tactically. "We'll have to have a rocket launcher with each team, in case they show up." He slid the belt from his waist.

"I don't know if that will be enough." John looked over and realized that Kelly was already removing her pants. "I don't think we even killed those ones that were in that museum." She frowned and was staring into her locker.

"We'll have to find out. It's the best chance that we have but we'll have to beat them if we come up against them again." John reached over and his hand lightly touched Kelly's arm, pulling her out of her distant stare. She looked to him and he frowned at the worry he saw on her face. It was small things, the ever so slight frown on her face, the hint of it in her eyes, signs that he'd learned to read so well. "So you know why I was slow to the showers. What about you? You're usually the first one here."

Kelly frowned and huffed. "Medics kept me back to do some extra tests. Wanted to make sure the blast didn't affect me. They wouldn't accept that I was fast enough to get away before the blast hit and wasn't affected."

John's hand moved slightly on Kelly's arm and she looked toward him, slightly leaning toward the touch. "I'm glad that you're fast. It was a close call today." He didn't want to admit that she'd scared him when the blast had hit and in the fraction of a second that it took for him to realize she'd made it out of the way he'd felt panic. He hated to admit it, because he believed that they should give up anything to complete a mission, but he couldn't help the fear he felt when Kelly was in danger.

Kelly smiled and turned toward him. He was surprised when her skin moved away from his hand but he realized she was just removing the last bit of clothing before she stood up again. "You know I'm always fast. You really shouldn't worry so much. Not to mention I always bounce back."

John found himself a bit annoyed at how she brushed it off. It scared him but she seemed to think nothing of it. Then again he'd seen her be more injured than any other member of his team and act like it was more than a minor wound. His hand reached out, running over a scar on her shoulder. "What happens if you don't bounce back?" The smile fell slightly from her face. "How would I go on if you're not there?"

Kelly looked toward his hand and frowned. "You'd find a way, I know you would." Her hand reached up and settled on his cheek. "You're strong, and you always find a way to continue on. If I weren't there you'd be all right." The smile returned to her face. "Though if I have anything to say about it we won't have to find out how you'll continue on."

John looked down as he felt her hand tugging his waist. Her second hand moved to join the other as it undid his pants and pulled them down. John frowned and looked to her, confused. "What are you doing?" He froze as her hands moved to the waist of his underwear.

Kelly smirked, her fingers gripping the waistband of the clothing. "Well you were never going to get around to it." With one big tug she pulled his underwear down and let it fall to the ground. She took a step forward, putting a foot on the fallen clothing.

John moved, stepping out of the clothing. He pulled her against him and held her tight. "I don't want to have to face that. I'd rather face a battalion of those things we saw today rather than find out how I'd survive." Kelly set her cheek against his chest and his arms moved around her waist. He held her against him, feeling her warmth spread through him.

Kelly's back was pressed up against the lockers and John pressed his lips against hers. Kelly clung to him, eagerly returning the kiss. Kelly broke them apart first, leaning forward to nip at his ear. "We should really get to the showers." She slipped out of his arms before moving toward the showers. She stopped just as she reached the area that was blocked off by a privacy wall. She smiled back at him before she walked to the showers.

John watched her go, a bit disappointed that she had rejected his advances. He then realized that they would have the showers all to themselves and hurried to follow after her.


	105. Halloween

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Halloween**

Kelly frowned down at her daughter. She couldn't tell if the dirt that smudged the kid's face was because she hadn't washed up or because it was part of her costume. "All right, where did you get the armor?"

Catherine grinned, clutching the ODST helmet under her arm. The seven-year-old wore an almost exact replica of ODST signature armor but it was small enough it fit her. "Grandpa helped me."

Kelly sighed, she should have known. She turned to see Avery walking into the kitchen. "And just who are you supposed to be?"

Avery tugged at the collar of his long black coat. "I'm the doctor." He grinned like a mad man. He looked cocky and his hair was slicked back.

"Doctor who?" Catherine asked.

"Exactly!" Avery grinned, holding out his arms so the two females could fully see his costume. He wore a black shirt and black pants. Sunglasses hung around his neck from a chain that most people would use to keep reading glasses close at hand. The only color to the costume was a crimson and sapphire stripped tie around his neck. "I'm the fourteenth doctor."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "You are such a nerd." She'd never been very supportive of how much he loved sci-fi.

"And you're so normal." Avery frowned at his twin. "At least my costume isn't disturbing like Sam's." She scowled at the thought.

"I have to agree." They turned to look to Jacob as he strolled into the room. "I have to say his costume is a bit dark. It is scary, but it doesn't seem proper."

"Yeah, cause dressing like your namesake isn't." Catherine rolled her eyes as she motioned to the clean pressed officer uniform that Jacob wore. Ribbons that were set up to look like medals were neatly placed on his right breast under a patch with the neatly stitched name 'Keys'.

"That's enough." Kelly could already tell where this conversation was going to go, so she was stopping it now. "All your costumes look great. Now your grandfather will be here soon."

The kids all forgot what they had been talking about and excitedly left the room. Kelly couldn't blame them for being excited. Mendez was going to be taking them off base and had promised to take them to a neighborhood where the houses gave out full sized candy bars.

Kelly followed them into the living room and froze as she got her first look at Sam's costume. He'd kept it hidden from them since he'd brought it home and now she thought she knew why. "What is that?"

Samuel turned toward Kelly and smiled. He had painted his skin a sickly brown-green. There was what looked like a paper machete appendage on his left arm that looked like it was a fleshy mutation. It went from his shoulder down to his hand that looked like it was elongated and the fingers were thin and pointed. A pair of antenna with red tuffs at the ends peeked out of the growth were it met his shoulder. "Hi, mom. I'm flood infected."

Kelly looked to John who was staring blankly at his son. Kelly moved between her son and husband. "What are you thinking?" Her voice conveyed her surprise and slight anger.

Sam's smile fell. "What's wrong with it?" He didn't understand why people had such an issue with his costume.

Kelly looked back at John before kneeling down to her son's height. "Listen, dear, it is very well made, and realistic. Maybe too realistic." She frowned, deciding how she wanted to explain it. "Your father dealt with the flood, and I don't think you understand what that means for him."

Sam cocked his head to the side. "But dad beat the flood. Why would he have a problem with me dressing like a combat form?"

"Sweetheart, just because we survive doesn't mean we really beat something." Kelly was well aware that from time to time John had nightmares of the flood.

Sam seemed to realize what she meant and his gaze turned to the floor. "I'm sorry, mom. Do you think dad's mad?"

Kelly shook her head. "You didn't know, dear. I'm sure he's not mad." There was a knock on the door and before Kelly could do anything Catherine had pulled the door open.

Kelly made sure that Sam followed her as she moved to the door. Mendez stood in the doorway wearing an ONI uniform. He was passing out bags to the kids for them to use for the night. Kelly smiled at the man she saw as her father. "Thanks again for taking them."

"I'm always happy to spend time with my grandchildren." Mendez stood up a bit straighter. "All right, soldiers. Fall out." The children all started to march out of the house and to the waiting Jeep. "I'll have them back by a reasonable time."

"I know you will." Kelly looked the man over and then motioned to the uniform. "Why are you wearing that?"

"It's the scariest thing I could think of." Kelly raised an eyebrow at his reply. "It's a shadowy group that holds deep dark secrets, sins that can never see the light of day, and it has actual power in our world."

Kelly nodded. "All right, good point. Now get moving before Catherine tries to hot wire the jeep because she wants candy."

Kelly watched Mendez leave before she moved back into the house. She moved into the living room, finding John sitting on the couch, staring at the floor. She moved over to his side, sitting down. He right away turned to her, burying his face into her neck. He clung to her as he tended to when he woke up from night mares about the flood.

"He didn't mean to bring up those thoughts, love." Kelly ran her hand over his hair, soothing him as she usually did on those late nights.

"I know." The words were muffled against Kelly's neck. "Doesn't mean it didn't."

Kelly was silent for a moment before she spoke. "You want me to take your mind off of it." Kelly's hand moved along his back.

John shifted so that his cheek was resting against Kelly's chest. "I don't think you can do that. I just need to hold you for a while."

Kelly pulled him a bit away. "Oh I think that I can take your mind off of it. You haven't seen my Halloween costume."

John looked up at her. "If you have a costume why aren't you wearing it?"

Kelly smirked. "Because it's not appropriate for children to see." John looked up at her, catching her drift. "Come on, you can take your mind off of it by doing a lot more than holding me." Kelly let out a little yelp as John stood and pulled her up, lifting her up bridal style. He carried her up the stairs.


	106. Kitten

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: Kitten**

Carter moved into through the battle torn field. He picked his way through the dead grunts and jackals, moving toward the broken building that had been tagged as their base. He'd given Kat the job of finding them a building that was sturdy enough they'd be able to regroup. The last he'd heard Jorge was still stuck across the river with Emile while Jun and was being used by an ONI team.

Carter moved into the front entrance of the building, surprised to find that there was not much to guard the door. He paused for a moment, moving a desk in the way of the main entrance. It would at least slow any intruders. He frowned, upset that Kat hadn't taken precautions against enemies.

He moved into the building and stopped as he spotted the Lieutenant Commander. She sat by a window, her helmet off, the light touching only half of her face. On her right shoulder stood a snow white kitten whose fur was slightly dirtied by dust. The feline purred and rubbed against Kat's cheek before letting out a high pitched meow. Kat raised her hand and the feline stretched to sniff the offered metal hand. It gave up on trying to reach the hand without falling off of Kat's shoulder. The kitten batted at Kat's hand, trying to get it to move closer though there was at least an inch distance between the paw and Kat's hand.

It was such a fascinating thing to watch. Here Kat stood in a broken building, surrounded by destroyed furniture and cracked walls. She was ignoring all of it, just focused on the little bit of life that had somehow survived the Covenant. She looked toward him and he smiled as she looked at him confused. "What?" She tilted her head to the side, not understanding what he was staring at.

Carter moved into the room. The feline on Kat's shoulder purred and watched him with big pleading eyes. He moved over to her and reached down, scratching the kitten's head lightly. "Just didn't take you for an animal lover."

Kat reached up, moving the kitten from her shoulder to her lap. "I always wanted a cat. I was thinking of taking this one off the planet with us. I mean, it's owners have been killed so it need someone to take care of it."

Carter frowned, looking down at the kitten. "You know that we can't take it with us. We haven't cleared out all the Covenant yet and we can't keep it with us in combat." He had to shoot down the idea now. If she thought that she could get away with taking the kitten or he let her argue then it would just hurt her more in the end to have to leave it behind.

"What, you don't want a kitten?" There was a tone to Kat's voice that made it obvious she wasn't really talking about the small feline on her lap. He hesitated, not answering the question. "Come on, it's helpless and it will be glassed with the rest of the planet." She leaned a bit toward him until their shoulder's touched.

Carter reached up, removing his helmet so that he could make full eye contact with her. "We can't take it with us, Kat, and that's final." He reached over and took the kitten from her lap. She looked like she wanted to fight it, but let him take the feline away. He set it to the side, avoiding looking at it as he knew that he was likely going to be as vulnerable to the kitten's stair as he was to Kat's pouts. He set the feline down but it sat next to him, still staring up at him and purring.

Kat let her head hang unhappily. "I want to be saving things, not leaving them behind to be burned." She moved her hand so she could look down at the robotic arm. She did that fairly often, usually when she was deep in thought. Carter's hand moved over to cover the robotic one. He often found the only way to get her to focus on the now and not the mistakes of the past was to hide the metal limb from her, though that tended to be hard as she was attached to it.

"We can't save everything, Kat." Carter moved his hand so that it was gripping her robotic one. "We have to save what we can and be glad that anything lives in the end." He smiled a bit and leaned more against her. "Besides, I already have a Kat, why would I want another?"

Kat smiled a bit and let out a single chuckle. "You are so corny sometimes." She leaned against him and looked down as the kitten walked over Carter's lap to try to stand on the both of them, meowing and trying to get their attention.

"It wasn't more attention than you do." Carter sighed and moved the kitten off of them. It still tried to climb up on him but he put a hand in its way to keep it off of him. Kat signed and Carter suddenly found her with her upper torso on his lap. "What are you doing?"

Kat didn't look up, just made herself more comfortable on his lap, curling up a bit. "If I'm your cat then I have a right to sleeping on your lap." She closed her eyes and started to rest.

Carter reached over, picking up his helmet and slipping it on. He checked Kat's bio-signs and realized that her heart rate was a bit low and after a quick check her armor sent back a report to his HUD. From the looks of it she'd been hit by something, but he couldn't tell with this equipment. He decided to let her rest, even if it meant letting her sleep on his lap. He held a pistol lightly in one hand, at the ready in case something attacked them.


	107. Sentimental

**Pairing: Emile/Jorge**

**Title: Sentimental **

Emile stared at Kat, not knowing what to say. With one sentence all that he knew had been changed. He didn't know what to think or feel at the moment. "Have you told the team?"

Kat shook her head. "I wanted to tell you first." Emile wasn't sure how to react. It was been a sentimental gesture but that wasn't at the front of his mind right now. "Are you all right?" The words were gentle, conveying her worry. She sounded as though she thought she understood what he was feeling. That angered Emile a bit. She had no idea how he felt right now.

"I'm fine." Emile's voice was cold and his fists were clenched. His anger wasn't really at Kat. He was mad at the Covenant, more that he'd been in a very long time.

The building shook and Kat tapped the side of her helmet. "Carter, what happened?" It registered in Emile's mind for just a second that Kat had used the Commander's first name but he was too distracted by his anger to care. Emile couldn't hear Carter's reply. He must have been on a private channel with Kat. From the way that Kat tensed Emile guessed she'd turned off the channel she shared with him in order to argue with Carter.

Emile felt a spike of jealousy as he watched Kat silently fight with Noble One. It reminded him of what was now gone. The news of Noble Five's death was still sinking in, and he suddenly missed having Jorge there to argue about or disagree with about what they should be like.

"_Emile._" Carter's voice snapped Emile out of his thoughts. "_The Covenant are knocking at the door down stairs. I want you down there to greet them properly._"

Emile unslung his shotgun. "My pleasure, Commander." Emile's voice was colder than usual. He was going to pay the Covenant back for taking his second partner. He turned and moved away, marching down the hallway.

Emile made his way down stairs and stood in front of the door, waiting for the door to be burned through. The normal troopers stayed back. Several times they tried to request Emile to back up, take cover, but he stood in the open, waiting for them.

The door finally opened and Emile didn't know how long the fight went on. It was all a blur of gun shots, plasma, enemy blood, and breaking bones. By the time he got up stairs, he was ready to collapse. Emile moved over and sat down beside a wall.

Kat was working on some bunch of wires and Carter was leaning against a banshee that looks to have crashed in the room. He was watching Kat as she worked. Jun sat by the window, looking out at the burning city.

Emile stared, not really looking at anything. He was painfully aware that Jorge wasn't there, wasn't standing at his side. He felt the weight start to settle on him. He pulled the knife from his shoulder and stared at the Kukri. He just stared at the blade, thinking of stabbing it through his hand just to see if he could still feel anything or if the last of his humanity was gone. Now it seemed like it could never again be one.

Emile had opened himself up to Jorge, let himself be vulnerable to the Spartan II. Jorge had sworn that he'd always be there, that he'd come back. He hadn't, and Emile didn't know what to think of it all. He'd loved Jorge, even if he never could admit it to him. Emile cursed his foolishness to have fallen in love again, to have been such a human. He was a monster, not a human, he should never have felt those feelings in the first place.

Emile looked up as Noble Six moved into the room. Emile watched her with a sense of hatred. She was what Jorge had died for, and right now Emile hated her. Jun spoke and Emile looked toward him. The sniper made a comment about the city and greeted Noble Six.

Emile spoke before he could really noticed it. "It's a regular family reunion." The words were bitter and Emile didn't try to hide his anger. Emile looked over as Noble Six pulled out a pair of tags. She was offering them to him. He didn't know if she knew, or just realized that Emile was the person that Jorge had been the closest to. He shook his head. "Keep 'em. He gave them to you." Emile pointed at himself. "I'll honor him my own way." Emile was determined to honor him by killing every last Covenant.

Jun hung his head a bit. "Jorge always said he would never leave Reach."

Emile chuckled, more to himself than anyone else. "The big man was sentimental…" The rest of the team seemed to glare at Emile, as though offended by his comment. He ignored them. None of them knew Jorge like he had. None of them understood that that sentimental was probably his down fall, that his love for Reach had probably been what got him killed. Emile sighed, ignoring the others as they spoke to each other. He was just fooling himself. He knew that he had been part of the reason why Jorge had done it, had given up his life in order to destroy the cruiser. A part of Emile would always love and hate Jorge for doing it, just as he hated and loved Karrie for her actions.

Emile looked up as Kat and Carter started to speak in hurried tones and Kat was checking something. Suddenly the world was a mess. The window shattered and Emile scrambled to his feet. Emile grabbed his weapon and moved toward the elevators. He was aware that Jun and Carter were beside him as they went down into the deep. He listened as Carter explained what he'd been told and Kat questioned things.

The door opened and Emile ran across the open area. He looked back and in a flash Kat was falling to the ground. He saw Noble Six shoot toward the sky and Emile moved forward, shooting up at the phantom. Six dragged Kat inside and the doors shut behind them. Emile stood in the silence, just watching as Six moved away from the body and Carter knelt beside the fallen Noble Two.

Emile watched them, sitting down to the side and just watching. He could almost feel Jorge sitting beside him, the Spartan II's arms wrapping around him and comforting him as they sat in the silence, waiting to see if they would be killed. He watched Carter as the man sat beside Kat. He wondered if Carter felt that same ghostly presence trying to comfort him, keep him safe. Emile fought the urge to lean toward Jorge, letting his head hang as he let himself just sit in silence and remember his fallen partner.


	108. Worry

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title: Worry**

John set his boots down on the floor beside his bed. In the recent exercise against Tango Company his boots had gotten very muddy so he made a note to clean them later. He was taking off his socks when a hand slid under his chin, cupping the area near the base of his jaw. The hand turned his head and he looked to the side of his view to see Kelly.

"What are you doing?" She was staring intently at the side of his head. He frowned as he noted the scratch on her cheek. She'd likely gotten it from the rocks that had bounced up under the cargo truck. The same rocks that had cut his ear when they'd been hanging from the undercarriage.

"I'm looking at the injury on your ear." John felt one of Kelly's fingers run over his ear near the bandage he'd put there during the mission.

"It's fine, Kelly. You don't need to worry about it." John tried to pull his head away but Kelly held on. He scowled, not understanding why she was at all worried about such a small wound.

"I want to be sure." Her face was only centimeters away from his face and he couldn't tell exactly what she was doing. He felt her lips press against his ear and he quickly pulled away. "What's wrong? They say kissing a small injury can make it better."

John rolled his eyes. "Kelly, that doesn't make any logical sense. Besides, that's what parents are supposed to do for their kids. You are not my mother." He turned toward her and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her down to the cot. She let out a slight squeak of surprise before it turned into laughter as he started to tickle her.

Kelly fought against him though it was hard as she tried to suck in air between laughs as his fingers moved over her skin. "John, stop it."

John continued his actions, avoiding the worst of her attempts to get him off her. "Not until you say the magic word."

Kelly tried to pull herself away from him. "Ha ha…John…ha ha." She managed to get onto her stomach but John simply put his weight on her legs and to pin her down.

"Sorry, that's not the right word." John grinned as she tried to get away. He could tell she was unable to take in enough breath to do anything but laugh so he reluctantly stopped tickling her, settling on lying on the bed, spooned against her. He rested his chin against her shoulder and draped his arm across her.

Kelly lay on the bed, panting to try to catch her breath. John ran his hand down her arm until it reached one of her hands. He pulled the hand toward him a bit so that he could see it better. There was a small cut on it, which would explain why she'd dropped her mirror when the guard had been doing the sweep under the vehicle.

"I wish you wouldn't take such risks." John's attention was snapped from Kelly's hand when the woman spoke. John raised an eyebrow, not knowing what she was talking about. She must have realized because she explained. "Why did you insist on being the one to set off the trap with the Tango soldiers at the pelican?"

"Because I'm the squad leader." John hugged her against him. "It's my job to take on the danger. I could never ask you to do that."

"You wouldn't have to ask." Kelly turned in his arms, resting her forehead against John's chest. "If you would just give me the option to volunteer then I would. You don't have to ask me or order me. I'd do it." Kelly's hands gripped his shirt and tried to pull her closer to him. "John, you're my best friend. I don't like seeing you hurt."

John moved one of his hands to the back of Kelly's head and, with the hand on her back, cradled her against him. "You mean too much to me Kelly to let you do that. I could never live with myself if you died or was hurt doing something because I let you volunteer for it." He settled his cheek on her head. He closed his eyes and just relaxed with her on the cot.

~*~*~

John sat down on his cot, a bit annoyed. The under layer, and a few of the plates of his armor had been burned up in the most recent mission. It was why he was without his armor right now. They were replacing the components and until then, he was just in his standard issue clothing.

John looked up as a Spartan entered and he recognized her right away. It was Kelly. She moved over to his cot and looked up at her. He was a bit disappointed to see her still in her full armor. "Couldn't find a good reason to get out of your armor?" Usually when one of them had to be out of armor the other would find a reason to get out of theirs so they could be together. It disappointed him that he had to be out of armor but she wasn't.

Kelly moved to him and sat down on the cot beside him. The cot squeaked in protest to the weight. She reached up and removed her helmet. "I couldn't come up with anything that suited them." She set her helmet to the side and then carefully touched his arm, looking down at the spot where the melting of his suit's under layer had burned his arm which was healing. "I wish you didn't take such risks." She lifted his arms and he watched as she pressed her lips to the healing skin.

John let her kiss his arm, raising his free hand up to her cheek. "You know I'm not going to have this conversation with you again. I'm team leader, I make the decisions."

Kelly kissed along his arm. "I wish you'd just keep in mind that I need you." Kelly leaned to him, brushing her lips over his. "I don't want to figure out what I'd do without you."

"You won't have to." John pulled her to him, kissing her more deeply for just a second. "I'm not going anywhere Kelly. Not as long as I have you to watch my back." He frowned as he once more wished she was out of her armor. "That's enough of that."

Kelly smiled and before John could stop her, not that he could as her strength was enhanced by the armor and he didn't have his, she pinned him to his bed. He flinched just a bit at the weight of the armor on him but she shifted so that it was redistributed and no longer pressing him down onto the bed. John looked up at her, confused though Kelly only smirked down at him. "Want to be manhandled by a Spartan in armor?" John didn't get a choice before she descended on him.


	109. Scars

**Pairing: Carter Kat**

**Title: Scars**

Carter lay on the cot, his arms wrapped tightly around the woman on his chest. He feared that if he let got she'd get up and leave, like they both knew she was supposed to. Too much time alone and people would wonder. At the moment, though, Carter didn't care. They'd made a choice on their new Noble Six, and until the soldier arrived, Carter was going to enjoy having things just like this.

Kat's hand moved over his side and he closes his eyes, just enjoying the touch of her flesh hand. She stopped and he realized that she'd stopped on a scar that ran along his side. "You know, you had this scar before I met you." Carter tried to ignore the words. He just wanted to relax, nothing else. "Where did you get it from?"

Carter thought of just ignoring her but he knew if he did then she'd want to get up and leave, so he decided to answer. He had to think about it for a moment, though, since he'd gotten the scar so long ago. From a time before he'd been a part of Noble team which seemed so pointless now. "I think I got it from a piece of glass." He could tell that Kat was waiting for more as she'd shifted her gaze to look up at him. "A grunt shot a needler into a building we were inside. They ended up sticking into the base of this display case. When they went off the glass shattered and fell on us. I had a breach in my armor and it stuck in. My teammate had to pull it out."

Kat moved in his arms and although he tried to hold her tight she slid up his body a bit so her torso was free. Carter opened his eyes fully focused on the woman. She moved so that he could see a sort of round scar under her right breast. "I got that thing from a needler. Luckily it was mostly outside of my body, so the damage wasn't all that bad." She moved back down to lie on him as she had been before, though she then went a bit lower. "You know, I always wanted to know about this scar." Carter jumped a bit as her hand moved under him to his rear.

Carter looked away from her, a bit embarrassed. "I got shot during training. It was one of my teammates. He had never even seen a gun before. He dropped it when the safety was off, and I ended up with a bullet in my butt. Happy?" Kat laughed and Carter frowned, still embarrassed. "Do you have any scars from training?"

The laughter stopped and something passed through Kat's eyes that Carter didn't like. She looked away from him as she sat up and turned so that he could see her back. There was a mark on her shoulder and he sat up enough so that he could get a better look at it. He couldn't really tell what it had come from but it was a wavy line. Carter looked to her, waiting for an explanation. She realized he wasn't going to just let it go. "It's from back during training, though I'd prefer not to share the story."

Carter stretched toward her shoulder and lightly kissed the area. "Why not?" He didn't like when she kept information from him. "Is it about your old team?"

"Carter, don't." Kat turned back around so that he couldn't see the scar. "I told you, I don't want to share the story. It's not a happy one. It doesn't matter anymore."

Carter's hands wrapped around her and he pulled her down as he moved back to be lying on the cot. "I wish you'd tell me, but I won't push it."

Kat relaxed against him. "Thank you." Her hand moved down his side until they had reached his left thigh. "So where did you get this one from?"

Carter frowned a bit. "That was from the day my family was killed. Got hit by a plasma pistol. I couldn't run, and I almost ended up killed by a grunt. At the last moment an ODST arrived and saved my life."

Kat stared up at him, her hands moving back to his chest. She pushed herself up just a bit, enough that her hand was free to move to her scared cheek. "I got this the day my family was killed." She moved to lie on his chest so she was comfortable. "Our car got hit by something. The crash killed my mother, sent my father flying. When I came to my senses my cheek was cut, and I watched as an elite stabbed my father through the chest with an energy sword."

Carter watched as Kat's eyes closed slowly. "How did you get away?" His own hands moved to her back and he held her loosely.

"I ran. Ran like I always wanted to." Her words were quiet and he could tell that she was partially asleep. Carter wondered what she meant exactly, but he let it go. He closed his eyes and pulled her up a bit higher on his chest before he cleared his mind to try to get some sleep.


	110. Down Time

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Down Time**

Kelly wasn't really satisfied with the answer she'd been given. Just telling her that John was the best didn't mean that he was still alive. She knew that he was the best, she'd stood beside him and followed him without question because she had faith in that fact. Still, she'd seen so many Spartans fall in the field and she feared the day that it would be John or her who would fall.

It felt like forever since she'd seen him. Fred had told her how First Strike had gone, and she felt awful for not being there. She should have been there to be John's blue two. Maybe then Grace would have survived. Maybe they would have stood more of a chance against those things, brutes, whatever they were.

She sat beside Halsey, just thinking. She didn't really notice the Doctor's presence. She decided to leave Halsey to the forerunner symbols. It would keep her from causing trouble and would give Kelly a chance to just think. She hadn't really had time for that since she'd woken up in that ship after she'd been stolen.

She knew that out of all the Spartans John was the one that could handle anything on his own, though if she was there with him she'd feel more secure. She wanted to know that he was alive, see him standing before her, alive. Kelly wanted to be able to touch him, to feel that he was there. She missed seeing him, missed seeing his smile and feeling his skin under her fingers.

Kelly felt like she was going out of her mind. She missed John, and she had nothing to take her mind off of it. She was told to wait here and maybe Lucy would show up but there was no way for Kelly to hurry that or do anything productive. She didn't have anything to do other than sit and think about John.

Kelly looked over to Halsey and wondered if she could talk to her about John. She shot down the idea. She didn't feel comfortable talking to the woman about John. She wasn't stupid, she knew that Halsey would have nothing but reassuring things to say. Halsey had already made it clear that she was sure John was still alive. Still, something kept Kelly from talking to her. You just didn't talk to your mother about the man you loved. At least Kelly couldn't.

She leaned back against the wall, trying to think of anything, anything that wasn't John. She was failing miserably. Everything she thought about turned back to John. The war, Earth, the Flood, the fallen Spartans, even just the weather. Each time somehow it all came back to John.

He stared at the wall across from her, trying to clear her mind. She went through some of the zen techniques that she'd learned to keep her reflexes sharp. She concentrated fully on her actions, trying to stay focused. She scowled as she fought to keep her mind clear of all thought, just the exercises. She could feel her attention trying to pull back to the Master Chief and she was getting annoyed by it.

Kelly sighed, relaxing a bit. She saw no purpose to fight it. She let her mind focus on John, though she avoided thinking about where he was now. She crossed her arms over her chest and wondered what he would do in this situation. How would he handle a missing Spartan III? What would he think of the Spartan IIIs? He had more experience with forerunner technology. Would he know more about what they were dealing with?

Kelly wondered if wherever John was, was he thinking about her? Did he even have the ability to be thinking about her? Was he off doing something important, risking his life, while she was just sitting here thinking about him. She once more hated herself and wanted to be by his side, helping him. She groaned, smacking her head back against the wall. This is why she didn't need down time. She muttered into her helmet, being sure that the radio was off so no one could hear her. "Why do you plague me, John?"

She smiled as she could almost hear his answer. "Because if I didn't then you'd get bored and do something reckless."

Kelly laughed slightly as she could swear she'd just heard him whisper in her ear. "Wherever you are John, you better come out of it alive. I won't forgive you if don't." She glanced toward Halsey, being sure that she was still on task before she once more turned back to thinking about the Master Chief.


	111. Overprotective

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title: Overprotective **

John heard the doorbell ring and he knew who it was. Well he was ninety-five percent sure who it was. He would never rule out the possibility of it being a Spartan or MP come to talk to him. Either was highly unlikely so he settled on it being who he thought it would be.

John moved through the house, glancing at a mirror to be sure that everything was in order. It was. The shirt he wore was clearly at least one size too small for him. It clung to him like a second skin, showing each and every muscle. It had been Kelly's idea, though he suspected she had different motives than him for him wearing it. She'd always told him that it made him look bulkier, more intimidating, but from the way she'd been watching him all day that was not what she felt when he wore it. His pants were simple fatigue pants, a sign that he was a trained soldier. It was just luck that his hair was clean cut recently so it was exactly at regulation length.

John moved to the door and opened it, not at hall happy with the person on the other side. The boy on the other side of the door, because a boy was what he was, wore a baggy t-shirt, torn jeans, and a backward baseball cap. The moment that he saw John the color drained from his face.

John's face was neutral, but he let a hint of his disapproval show through in his gaze. They stood in silence and John waited to see if the boy would have the guts to ask the question they both knew he was going to ask.

"Um…I'm here for Kat." Well at least the boy had the guts to ask. Some of the other boys had just run away at the sight on John.

John took a step back from the door. "My daughter will be down shortly." His voice was deep and serious, the one that he used with new troops to scare them. The teen moved into the house and John motioned to the living room. "Why don't you take a seat?" John moved to sit down on the couch to the side of the couch the boy sat on.

The teenager shifted nervously, John noted that he pulled off his cap, as though it hadn't already done its damage in John's view of him. He usually didn't judge people on the way they looked, but the rules were different from most people.

"What are your intentions with my daughter today?" John was sure to keep his face neutral but his voice made it clear that the boy better be careful about what he said in response.

The boy swallowed, obviously scared half to death. "Um…I was going to take her to dinner and movie." He was shaking slightly and John could see he was sweating a bit.

John leaned toward the young man. "Tell me a bit about yourself." He shifted, consciously flexing just a bit to make himself look more intimidating.

The boy was obviously shaking. "My name's Luke. Um…I'm in several of Kat's classes. My parents work for a local company that does accounting stuff." He looked toward the ground, not willing to meet John's gaze. He was fumbling for words and something to say. He finally just shut his mouth, afraid of saying something stupid.

John leaned forward, closer to the boy. "Well, Luke, I'd like to make something very clear. I love my daughter, she's very important to me. If you make one wrong step, if she comes home upset in any way, I want you to know that I know over a hundred ways to kill you that can never be traced back to me." His voice and face were dead serious, driving his point home.

"Dad!" John looked over as Catherine moved into the room. "What did I tell you about scaring my dates?" The fifteen year old woman was glaring at her father. She moved around the couch and grabbed Luke's hand, pulling him up. "Wait outside." He obediently did as he was told, glad to be away from John.

John waited until the boy was gone before he spoke. "I don't like him."

"You never like them." Catherine wasn't intimidated by her father. "Every time I bring a boy home you scare him nearly to death before I even get down stairs and they spend the entire date scared of doing something wrong which ends up with us having no fun at all."

"None of them have been good enough for you." John wasn't going to admit that he'd done anything wrong. He was protecting his daughter from boys that only had one thing on their minds. "I was that age at one time, and I know what they're like."

"No you don't, you were in combat when you were my age." Catherine crossed her arms. "Just back off, dad." Catherine turned on her heels and marched out of the door, going to meet her date.

"That could have gone better." John looked back to see Kelly moving into the living room. "She really is getting annoyed by it."

"Don't act like you don't approve of me testing them." John turned to her as she moved to stand before him. "You even help me with it."

Kelly moved to stand before him, her hand reaching out to run over his chest. "Oh, I do approve, it's Catherine that doesn't." She moved to press herself against his chest and his arms moved around her out of reflex. A smile crossed her face. "You know Avery is out of the house tonight."

A smile spread over John's face. "Is that so? Will he be home any time soon?" Kelly shook her head. "Well then, I think I have a wonderful idea as to how we can spend that time."

Kelly pulled him down to her, clinging to John as she kissed him. He lifted her up and moved them through the house and up the stairs to make the most of the time they had.


	112. Thinking of You

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Thinking of you**

John looked over the ammunition that they had stocked up. He glanced over at the Arbiter who was moving the last of the ammunition crates into the store room. John nodded to him and the Arbiter nodded back. The alien left the room and John sat down on a crate. The fight ahead of him was going to be a long one. He wished that he had his team there, that the rest of the Spartan IIs there to help him. He was sure he could use Fred's close-quarter-combat skills, Will's determination to get any job done, and Linda's sniping skills.

John's mind turned to the one remaining living Spartan II, or at least he hoped she was still alive. He had no idea what Halsey had done with Kelly. He had heard about the message from Halsey asking for more Spartans. He knew that Fred, Will, and Linda had gone to answer the call. That didn't really tell him what had happened to Kelly. Was she still alive? Did Halsey need the other Spartans because Kelly was dead?

Just the thought of Kelly being dead scared John a bit. Here he was about to risk his life, go into the portal to try to find the solution to the flood that Cortana had promised, and her being dead seemed to scare him more. He hoped that it would all be worth it. His body and mind were tired, and he wasn't sure if he'd make it through this fight. He hated the thought that he'd never see her ever again. He would have given up all the soldiers that would be going with him just to have her standing by his side again. He was sure he could keep going if only to be sure she made it out.

John set his mind on that. The want to insure that Kelly made it. He knew she was strong, and if Halsey was still alive, then Kelly had to be alive. The doctor wouldn't be able to survive without the Spartan to protect her. It gave him new purpose. He was going through the portal to find the solution, if only to end this war so when Kelly returned to Earth she could find a place where she wouldn't have to fight. The message had said something about forerunner things, and John wondered if it too had flood on it. Would this solution that Cortana promised cause all flood to die? Would it mean that if there were flood where Kelly was that it would die?

John clenched his fists. He didn't have any other option. He hadn't been able to follow the other Spartans to this place called Onyx. He had been on the Delta Halo, so far away from them. They'd been long gone before he finally got back to Earth. Maybe he'd never see any of them ever again. He had been fully ready for that on the Halo, but he'd gotten a chance to say goodbye to Kelly before they'd gone off on their missions. This time, he couldn't do that.

John decided that he wouldn't lie to himself. There was a good chance that he'd die on this mission. A good chance that he'd never see Kelly ever again. Die without ever telling her how he felt about her as he'd promised himself he would. John closed his eyes, wishing there were some way that he could change that. His eyes opened as he realized there was a way that he could say goodbye, tell her what he wanted and probably not hold back.

John opened up a voice message and took a deep breath. He addressed it to Kelly-087. He just stared at her name for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts before he started. He activated the record and spoke. "Kelly." He let her name just hang there for a second before he continued. "If you're listening to this, I went through the portal and didn't come back." John wished that she could be there, standing before him to hear the words in person, but this was the best he could do. "I just want you to know a few things. You've always been my best friend. You always had my back and got me through the hardest fights. You were also always the one that made me feel the most human. With you I could be someone other than the Master Chief. I could be John, the man you knew since we were six, growing up together. You were also more than a friend. With you I could start to understand what peace was. Those times that we shared are always what I turn to when things get dark."

John closed his eyes and pictured Kelly standing before him. That soft smile that somehow made him forget at times all the hardships and loss they had gone through. "I want you to know, Kelly, that I love you. I have for so long, but I always was too scared of what you'd say if I told you. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you when I was still around, that I could tell you in person. I want you to know that I'm doing this for you, or at least you're the only reason I can come up with that will keep me going. I want to save humanity, but I've been fighting for that for so long. I just don't think it will keep me going any longer. Saving you, giving you a world without the flood or this war, that is something that I'm willing to fight far past exhaustion for." John smiled a bit as he thought of all the past times. All the stolen moments, the heated times in locked storage rooms, private quarters, or showers. "I love you, Kelly. I hope you're alive and happy."

John stopped the recording and gave the message a title. He decided on simply 'listen if I'm dead.' It was about as clear as he could be. If Kelly was dead, she would never hear it, but no one else would either. If she was alive, then she'd come home and be able to hear him say what he'd wanted to tell her. John stood from the crate and moved out of the storage room, heading out to find out if there was something productive that he could be doing.

2560

John stared at the datapad, frowning at the words on the list. "Why didn't you ever listen to this?" John showed the list to Kelly who was sitting at the kitchen table. He pointed to the message that he'd sent before he'd left for the Ark.

Kelly shrugged. "I just couldn't listen to it." She turned her attention back to the apple she was cutting up then stopped. "Wait, why are you in me messages?"

"I'm making sure that Lieutenant isn't still bothering you." John sat down at the table beside her. "What do you mean you couldn't listen to it? Do you mean the file was corrupted?" He hated to think that she'd never heard his words because of a system glitch.

Kelly shook her head. "No, that's not what I mean." She sighed and leaned back in her chair, putting the knife and fruit down. "For the first year people thought you might still be alive. After two most of the Spartan IIIs gave up. After three the other Spartan IIs gave up. After four I started telling people that I thought you were dead. Really, I was just lying. I could never let go of the belief that you were still alive. I felt like listening to that message would be admitting that you were dead. I couldn't do that."

John smiled a bit and leaned over to her, placing a quick kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for never giving up on me." Kelly smiled and leaned toward him, placing a light kiss on his lips. "Though you should listen to it. I meant everything I said in it and I wanted you to know those things. All this time I thought you knew, but I had no idea." John stood from his chair and moved out of the room, leaving Kelly to her snack.


	113. Relaxation

**Pair: Linda/Mark**

**Title: Relaxation**

Linda watched as the clouds overhead slowly drifted through the sky. It was quiet and calm, just her and the young man who lay beside her. She watched Mark as he stared at the clouds above. It was nice to have him around. They often would just sit around in silence for hours, just happy with having the other nearby.

Linda frowned, remembering the recent conversation she'd had with a couple of the other Spartans. They were a bit concerned with how much younger Mark was then her. Linda didn't see their point. Why was it that everyone assumed that she was sleeping with him? She'd never done anything more than kiss the man, and that was rare. Even if she did feel like sleeping with him, why did any of them care? He was of age, he could make decisions for himself.

"Grunt." Mark pointed toward the sky and then looked at Linda. He was smiling until he saw her face. "What's wrong?"

Linda thought about denying that anything was wrong, but Mark knew her well enough that he would know she was lying. "People." She knew it was a vague answer, and that he would ask her to clarify so she didn't wait for him to ask. "People don't understand us."

"Isn't that the point of us? I mean, why we get along." Mark moved to look up toward the sky. "Ash sat me down to have a talk." Linda's frown deepened. Great, now they were bothering Mark. Mark grinned and shook his head. "It was rather comical. I mean, it's not like he's older than me or something."

Linda smiled a bit at Mark's attitude. At least he wasn't letting the way others viewed them bother him. She wished it were that easy but to know that Fred, John, and Kelly all seemed to disapprove it was like her family frowning upon her. She wished that they could just understand.

She and Mark had been living together for some time now. Originally it had just been because they didn't want to live alone and needed someone else around. Eventually Linda came to miss Mark's presence when he wasn't around. They weren't like Kelly and John or Tom and Lucy. They could sit in the living room just reading for hours, not even speaking but just as happy as a conversing couple. They didn't even sleep in the same bed. Sure, they slept in the same room but that was because of an agreed choice to make Mark's old room into a workout room.

"Don't let them get to you." Mark closed his eyes and moved his hands behind his head. "Not like any of them know us that well anyway."

Linda looked toward the sky and stared at the clouds as they fell into silence. He was right; none of them really knew what they were like. Both of them were snipers, long distance fighters. Linda was more than happy to just sit on her own, no words, just staring through a scope, and Mark understood that. It was why she felt connected to him. They both understood that they were happy to be alone, in that silence, but that sometimes, they just wanted another person near. Linda closed her eyes, pushing her worries from her mind, just relaxing in the calm of the field, enjoying Mark's company as they both relaxed.


	114. Rabbit

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Rabbit**

Kelly just kept running, not stopping. It was what she was best at, faster than anyone. It was why she was always rabbit. She could run away from anything, or lure anything in to a trap. Her feet pounded against the ground as she ran without looking back. She could hear the gunfire but she couldn't risk looking back.

Pain laced through her leg before she could really tell what happened. It took a second for the information to process in her mind. She'd been shot. She could already feel the warm liquid of her blood running down her leg. The ground came up fast and she hit the grass, tumbling. Her view switched from ground to sky then back again as she finally stopped.

Kelly tried to move her leg but it refused. She would have expected that with stun rounds but the blood was proof that they were using live rounds. Her leg moved just a little bit and new pain shot through her. From the feel of it the slug must have still been in her thigh. All she knew was that she couldn't run on it. It wouldn't even support her weight. Still she tried to get up, forcing herself to her hands and knees.

Something struck the back of her head and she fell to the ground again. Kelly looked up to see a pair of soldiers standing over her. One of them still had his gun ready to strike her again with the butt of the rifle. "Well look what we got here. One of the ONI's freaks."

Kelly felt a gun be pressed to the back of her head. "Well, what shall we do with her?" The second soldier leaned over a bit so he could look at her. "She's a rather cute woman. I think we could take her with us."

That made Kelly afraid. She didn't fear the gun, but she understood what the men were insinuating. She was sure that none of them knew her true age, or they wouldn't have even let the through cross their minds. She was only thirteen but for some time the Spartans had looked more like fully grown soldiers. She kept her mouth shut, though. They may not have any sympathy for kids, or they wouldn't believe her and just assume she was trying to save herself. She felt someone grab her arm and she reacted.

Kelly pulled the man toward her to attack him. Before she could the gun that had been pressed to her head hit the back of her head. The world swam for a moment and then Kelly's vision vanished and she fell unconscious.

When she woke up she found herself leaning against John. The first thing she was aware of was the pain. The second thing was that John only had a grip on her upper body, holding her tight. Another person had her legs pinned down so that they wouldn't move. She felt the person digging around in her wound to pull out the bullet. Kelly couldn't stop the scream of pain as her brain registered the pain and reacted. Kelly felt John hold her tighter as her hands moved to his shirt and held on tight. She turned her face toward him to try to muffle her screams a bit against him.

It felt like it took forever for them to dig the bullet out of her. When they finished the trainee released her legs but John still held onto her. She clung to him for a little while, letting the pain in her leg subside and go numb. Kelly buried her face into his stomach and just lay there, trying to get control of her pain. She finally relaxed and realized that John's hand was stroking her hair. It soothed her and Kelly's eyes closed again as she drifted off.

When Kelly woke back up she was alone, or at least she thought she was. She felt a tug on her leg and a bit of pain. Kelly groaned and the motioned stopped. She looked down toward the person and found John unwrapping her thigh. "What are you doing?" She moved so that she wasn't so strained to look at him.

John helped her sit up before he answered. "I wanted to get a look at it, be sure it wasn't infected." John went back to unwrapping her leg. She gritted her teeth against the pain. It didn't hurt that badly, but she was trying not to make noise.

The last of the bandage was pulled away and Kelly could see the wound in the side of her leg. It was then that Kelly realized he'd had to pull her pants down to around her knees to be able to get to the bandage. She didn't like it. If she had to run they would stop her from a full stride. Not that the wound wouldn't stop her first.

Kelly watched as John's hand moved over her thigh, being careful to stay away from the wound. She watched as his hand slid higher on her skin as he leaned in to look at the wound. His hand stopped moving, having slid to her inner thigh. She just sat and waited, knowing that eventually he would tell her how it was.

John looked up from the wound though Kelly noted he kept his hand in place. "It seems to be healing fine." His hand finally move and Kelly lay down as she allowed him to rebadged the injury. He moved so that she could see him. "Lift your legs a bit." Kelly did as he instructed and she felt him pull her pants back up. She put her feet on the ground and lifted her hips, allowing him to pull them the rest of the way up.

John moved to sit down beside her and Kelly shifted so that she could move to lie across his legs, head resting against his stomach. "So, what happened?"

"They must have had a marksman. He shot you from a distance and the bullet ended up lodged in your bone. The soldiers were going to take you." John's arms settled over her back in a sort of protective gesture. "Sam and I attacked them while the others kept the remaining soldiers pinned."

Kelly nodded at the information. She was just glad she hadn't been taken. Kelly's hand moved up to run over his stomach and he allowed the action. "Thanks for getting me out of there."

John's hand moved to cover the one on his stomach. "I'm sorry I put you in that position. That field was too large, too much time for them to get a better angle and hit you from. I'm sorry for my mistake."

Kelly sighed and pulled herself closer to him, moving so that she was still sort of leaning against him but she could look up at him. "You know as rabbit there are going to be plenty of times that you send me into combat and I'm going to get hurt doing my job. You just have to be there to keep the people from killing me."

John seemed to think about that idea for a moment. "Then I'll find another rabbit." Kelly's fist hit his shoulder. "What was that for?"

"I'm the only rabbit you need, John. You can't take away my best skill from me." Kelly relaxed again. "I'm rabbit, got that clear?"

John shifted a bit as he became more comfortable. "Yes, ma'am." His hand moved to her back and slowly moved up and down. Her eyelids grew heavy and she succumbed to sleep, falling asleep in John's arms.


	115. Proposition

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: Proposition **

Kat closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She was trying to keep herself from attacking one of the soldiers around her. They hadn't stopped talking for the last half hour, and now they were going too far.

"No no, it has to be bigger than that." Emile tilted his head to the side. "At least an inch bigger." He chuckled deeply. "Someone get the tape measure, I'll check it myself."

"I think that it would be more fun to see her do the measuring. Not that I wouldn't love getting that close to…particular parts of her, but I think it would be more fun to have her do it." Thom kicked back in the chair that he was sitting on, putting his feet up on the table.

"Well I did a low shot. You always want to get something a bit smaller so that it forces them up, out of the shirt." Richard grinned evilly. "You know, make them about ready to burst out. Gives a better view."

Kat tried to fully focus on the circuit before her. She was trying to solder the parts into place but the group of men was distracting her. She'd been trying to connect the resistors properly but it was hard to keep the soldering iron steady when she was fighting the urge to toss it like a javelin at one of the men.

"You know, I heard that you can use electricity to heighten the pleasure. You guys think she likes some electrical play when she's getting down?" Thom shifted a bit, his eyes trailing down Kat's back.

"Well if her source isn't putting out I'm sure she had a little eclectically powered friend in order to get what she needs." Emile growled a low animalistic growl. "Though I bet we could do better than her little friend."

"I'm sure that we could." Richard shifted, stretching is legs out to be more comfortable. "You know what I'd like to do?" Neither of the men replied so Richard continued. "I'd like to know what sort of underwear a female Spartan wears. I mean, I've been around the other women of Noble, but they'd always been very secretive. They shower after the guys, and since Kat became the only woman the Commander has been protective."

"You know, I just thought of something." The two men looked to Emile. "If Carter's protective of the only remaining women, maybe it's because the past members have been part of some sort of harem that he had. Kat's the last of his ladies so he's protective of the last bit of his harem that is around." Emile smirked behind his visor. "You know I can see him needing more than one woman to keep him happy."

Kat couldn't help herself. She laughed out loud and had to set the soldering iron to the side to keep herself from burning herself. The men all looked at her, confused. "I'm sorry, that's just the dumbest thing I think I've ever heard. First of all, the Commander doesn't need even one woman. Sometimes I think the only thing that he gets off on are the rules and regulations. Second, since when has there been a guy that needs more than one woman? It's a woman that needs more than one man. Seems that the only thing you ever hear of is the fact that guys just can't get the job done."

"So, you're saying that a woman needs more than one man?" A grin spread over Richard's face. "Well you're in luck because you got three willing guys sitting here. We are your harem, here to do what we must in order to rock your world." Richard pulled up his shirt a bit to show his abs. "You really going to turn this down."

Kat admitted that Richard was physically attractive, but that didn't do enough for her. She wasn't into someone who was just handsome, and Richard tended to just annoy her. "That's very nice, Dick, now put it away."

Richard dropped his shirt and put up his hands. "Still, you have the three of us." Emile leaned forward. "And we'd do anything for you."

"Oh, says the man who's always encased in metal. Yeah, very attractive, Emile." Kat rolled her eyes at him. There was nothing appealing about the Spartans scratched up armor.

"Oh, you know I'd come out of my armor shell for you." Emile removed one of his gauntlets, holding up his hand. "For you I'd be skin."

Kat sighed and looked to Thom. "What about you? You haven't made your offer yet." She wasn't really looking forward to his proposition, but it would mean she could shoot them all down and be done with it. Maybe she'd even get some work done.

"Well, at a time like this I can only quote the old saying. Save a horse, ride a cowboy." Thom grinned at her and Kat scowled.

"Well to that I say no. In fact, not a single one of your propositions was at all appealing, so it will be a no to all of you." Kat turned back to her work.

"Well you know what they say, boys, no means yes." Emile slipped his gauntlet back on.

"You do realize that it is no means no. Or are you a rapist, because they are the only ones that think that no means yes." Kat was a bit worried. She just didn't like what Emile had said.

"Not at all. I just mean, that when you get a look at the three of us at the ready, you'll change your mind," Emile explained.

"Emile!" They all looked to the doorway where Carter stood. He stepped into the room and glared at the men. The slightly scared look on their faces actually made Kat smile. "I want all of you out of here, and I don't ever want to hear anything like that again." The men didn't say anything as they left the room. Carter made sure they were gone before he moved to follow them.

"Wait." Carter stopped and looked back at Kat. "Can you stay?" She asked.

Carter frowned. "I don't think they are actually going to do anything, Kat." Carter moved over to stand beside her. "I'm sure you're safe."

"I know, but you scare them." Kat leaned back in her chair. "I can't get work done with them around but they'll stay away if you're here."

Carter nodded. "All right, I'll stay for a little while." He moved over to where Richard had been sitting and sat down.

Kat turned back to her work but she'd only gotten a couple of the resistors attached before she realized that she was still being leered at. She sighed and set her soldering iron to the side. "You want to make a proposition as well?"

She heard him stand and walk across the room to stand behind her. He leaned down and she felt his breath on her ear. His voice was husky and spoke of much more than just the words he was saying. "I want to make you purr."

Kat clicked off the soldering iron and stood up, turning toward Carter. "You know, this work can wait until later."


	116. It Suits You

**Pairing: Fred/Kathleen  
**

**Title: It suits you**

Fred ran the rag over the kitchen counter. He frowned at the liquid that he had spilled and was trying to mop up. It might stain the rag, but he couldn't let it get away from him and he didn't have time to search for the paper towels. Once the liquid was all cleaned up he moved over to the sink, running the rag under the water. Fred checked the clock and cursed. She'd be home any time.

Fred left the rag to sit in the sink and quickly dried his hands before heading upstairs. He quickly stripped off his clothing and grabbed out what he wanted to wear that night. He put on a pair of black pants and a clean white long-sleeve shirt. He grabbed the blue tie from his dresser and slipped it on. He struggled a bit but finally figured out how to properly put it on.

Fred walked down stairs and headed back into the kitchen where he checked over everything that he had set out. Fred moved to the living room, leaning against the back of the couch to wait for her to come home. He waited for a while, but she didn't come home. He checked his watch and realized that she was very late. Late enough that it was making him worry. He started to fidget, wondering if he should contact someone about if her ship had come in or if there was something keeping her up. He moved around the couch sat down, trying to relax.

Fred was fighting with himself over what to do when the door opened up. Kathleen walked in, dropping her bag on the ground. She grumbled something about a Captain or something and finally looked over to Fred. "Hey." Fred stood up and Kathleen stared at him, looking him up and down. "What are you all dressed up for?"

Fred moved around the couch and over to her. He moved to stand before her and grinned. "I got dressed up for you." His arms moved around her and hugged her to his chest. "I was getting worried. You're late."

Kathleen didn't push him away, more relaxing against him and Fred held her tighter. "I had five officers that wanted to scold me or get reports from me. Also had to listen to two of them try to sway me to do what they want me to. Idiots, they have no idea that their views are the opposite of what I'm doing." Kathleen rolled her eyes and her hand moved up to Fred's tie. "You're missing the jacket."

Fred released her a bit so that she could lean a bit away. "I thought that might be a bit too much. I didn't want to look too stuffy. I know you don't like the stuck up guys."

Kathleen's hands moved up to his face and ran over his cheeks toward his chin. Fred had let his facial hair grow out so that rather than just a beard he had a gote. She seemed to examine his face and he felt nervous under her gaze. He'd been worried what she'd think of it, and he couldn't tell yet if she approved. "I think you could pull it off. You're new look is a bit more…well I just think you could pull off a suit."

Fred smiled at her and nodded, moving to grab her bag. She followed him as he carried it upstairs and put it down beside the closet, where she always put it when she came home. He moved to the closet and opened it, pulling out the hanger with the jacket on it. He pulled it from the hanger and slipped it on. Fred turned to Kathleen who was sitting on the bed.

Kathleen beckoned him a bit closer and he moved over to her. Kathleen's hand reached out, grabbing his tie and pulling him down. Fred bent down in order to keep her from chocking him. She smirked at him, reaching up and running a finger over his cheek. "You look handsome, Fred."

Fred smiled at her and moved to put his hands on the bed so he could use that to hold him up rather than leaning over. "I'm glad. I never was sure if you liked the facial hair."

"It is true that you didn't have that back during training, but back then you weren't able to grow one." Kathleen smirked at him. "Though I hope you know that having facial hair doesn't make you look tougher."

Fred rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm almost seven-feet tall and I need facial hair to make me look touch." Fred stood up, slipping his hands into the pockets of the suit.

Kathleen leaned back a bit and looked him over smiling. She stood up and moved to his side. "I never said you needed it. Her hand moved over his arm and she smiled gently as she looked up at him. "It doesn't make you look tough, Fred. It makes you look…powerful. It diffidently suits you." Her hand moved to the cheek on the other side of his face and she pulled herself up to place a kiss on the free cheek.

Fred felt himself blush as a lopsided grin crossed his face. "Well powerful is not the way I feel around you." He looked to her when she pulled away. Fred's hands moved to her waist, turning to face her. "Come on. I have dinner ready downstairs."

Kathleen smirked at him. "Oh, I think I have better ideas." Kathleen moved back a bit so that she could look at him. "Put your hands back in your pockets." Fred did as she instructed, not sure why but he was fairly sure what her idea was, and he was willing to let dinner get a bit cold for it. "Yeah, very nice. You could be that bad ass muscle in a mafia, or the boss at a big company. One of the nice ones that while they're ruthless in the market give back a lot to the community and you get the feeling that outside of the office all the people are really nice to talk to."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "What?" He had no idea what she was talking about. He wasn't sure if any of what she'd said was good.

"Or a government agent." Kathleen grinned at him moving forward and running a hand over part of the white shirt that was showing. "You look like a man in charge." Kathleen smirked up at him. "You know power is attractive."

Fred smirked down at her. Now that he had understood. His hand moved to her cheek and he leaned down toward her. "Oh, you know I'm in charge." He brought their lips together as his hands moved down to her waist to roughly pull her against him. One of her hands went to his shoulder while the other grabbed his tie. Fred grinned at her. "You know behind every strong man in charge there's a strong woman."

"I think they tend to be less violent." Kathleen's arms moved to loosely wrap around Fred's neck. "Though if you wanted you could be a mafia don and I could be the woman that kicks people's ass when they talk back to you and kills people. Though I think I'd need a suit of my own."

Fred smirked at her. "How about instead a nice form fitting strapless red dress with a long slit up the side so that you could kick ass?" Fred saw the frown on her face and he chuckled. "Fine, you can have your own suit." Her frown turned to a smile. "Only as long as at the end of the day I get to come back to my bedroom to find you wearing something very un-suit like, lying on my bed and waiting for me."

"Most of the time." Kathleen placed a light kiss on the underside of his jaw. "Sometimes I might be out killing people for you. You'll just have to settle for me waking you up those times for a little late night snack." Kathleen grinned up at him.

Fred thought about it for a moment and then smiled. "Deal."


	117. Halo 4

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Halo 4**

Kelly ran through the forest, rather annoyed by it all. The Spartan IIs had been sent out from the Infinity to check out the area and when those things had attacked, she got separated from the rest of the Spartan IIs. She was making her way through the forest, trying to find a way to get away from the teleporting enemies. To her it was sort of cheating. She got away or attacked enemies based on speed. She was sure the only reason they were able to keep up with her were their odd teleporting ability.

Kelly reached a sort of clearing, that was a much of a clearing as it could be. It was really just a space that there were no trees on the ground, but the trees above still covered the area with their leaves above. One of the teleporting enemies appeared before her, but its actual reflexes weren't fast enough. She ducked under it and moved around the foe. She darted out of the way of a second, but it left her too focused on them and she tripped over something. Kelly fell forward but managed to roll to her feet.

She stopped and looked back at what she had tripped over. For a moment she thought she knew what it was, but she couldn't believe that it was what she thought. What she did recognize was the object beside the mass. She picked it up and the metal parts assembled into a triangle like gun. She fired on the enemies, breaking one of them apart. The second teleported up to her and she leaned back a bit as the halves of its face split apart to reveal the screaming fire skull inside. Kelly reacted right away, slamming her fist into the skull. The thing fell back, and she fired. Her hand didn't hurt, so she had no idea what the skull was but it hadn't hurt her.

With the two enemies dead she took a moment to look closer at what she'd tripped on. Kelly kept the gun in hand but knelt beside the mass, hand reaching out to the green metal. She pushed on it and the person rolled over. She stared at him for a moment, not believing that it was actually him. Kelly glanced around and then picked him up, carrying him to somewhere safer.

John's eyes slowly opened, staring up at into the darkness. He couldn't see anything and he wondered if something was wrong. He couldn't see his HUD so he worried that he'd lost his sight, until his eyes adjusted and he could see what looked like stone above him. He looked to his sides, trying to figure out where he was. From the looks of it he was in a cave, his helmet sitting to his right. He reached over for it and rolled over, trying to get up. He stopped though as he looked to the front of the cave and saw a figure sitting there.

The Spartan looked at him and he couldn't believe it. John slipped on his helmet and stood, moving over to the other Spartan. He glanced down at the forerunner weapon sitting in the soldier's lap and then back up to the reflective visor. "You stole my gun."

"You weren't using it." John closed his eyes and focused on that voice. That clear sweet voice that he'd feared he'd never hear again. "Does your head hurt?" She moved over on the rock she was using as a seat and John sat.

"No, my head's all right. I don't understand though why I'm not dead." John didn't understand why it was that he hadn't died. There had been so many of them, they could have killed him. Then why hadn't they? John turned his attention instead to the woman beside him. He shifted just a bit, bumping his shoulder against hers. "So, have I been gone long?"

John was surprised as her hand moved over to settle on his, though she wasn't looking at him. "It's been five years since I've seen you." She paused and John watched her, unable to see her face behind her helmet. "I'm glad you have you back. To a point where words don't really seem to do the feeling justice."

John smiled a bit. It had been a while since he'd smiled, but right here, knowing she was still alive and that somehow, though all of it she'd been able to find him on this god forsaken planet, when he should be dead a hundred times over, it made him smile. "I'm glad to see you alive, Kelly."

She turned her head toward him, and he could visualize the smile under her helmet. Odd how her face stuck with him, even after all this time. She reached up, facing the palm side of her hand to her helmet. She placed her fingers against the part of her helmet where he mouth would be, then repeated the action on John's helmet. "I knew you weren't dead."

John hesitated for a moment before he gave the same motion as her, pressing his hand to his helmet and then hers. "I'm not that easy to get rid of." He reached over and took the gun from her lap. "We shouldn't stay still. Those things are still out there."

Kelly nodded. "We should find the other Spartans. I can be your rabbit, as long as you've got my back." Kelly started to walk and then stopped. "You do have my back, right?"

John raised the gun and nodded to her. "Always." Kelly then jogged off and John ran after her. Whatever it was that was on this planet, they could face it, and together they'd beat it.

Author's Note: I'm putting this one out in celebration of making 117 chapters. This story is based off of the gameplay released at E3, at least what I can gain from the video. If the actual game screws up and doesn't put Blue Team in it, you can expect to be seeing a story from me where the game is done properly, with Blue Team in it. For now, I cross my fingers and hope 343 doesn't screw up. I know this one isn't a big emotional reunion between them, but they are Spartans in combat, emotions have no place there. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.


	118. Cute

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Cute**

John jumped forward, meeting Kelly half way. The two of them collided and the fight started. Each time he tried to get a hold of her she slipped out of his grip. The next thing he knew he was pinned to the ground, Kelly's hands holding his shoulder's down. "Pinned you." She grinned happily as she gloated over her victory.

John pushed her off of him. "Fine, fine, you won." Kelly sat down beside him, still grinning. John smirked, determined to remove that smile from her face. He launched himself at her but she reacted quicker than he had expected. She countered his attack and he found himself face down on the ground, his arm pinned behind his back. "Pinned you again." John could feel her mouth against his ear as she gloated.

John scowled, embarrassed that he'd been pinned to the ground by Kelly. It was made all the worse as he heard Sam laughing. "Ha, you got your butt beaten by a girl."

John turned his head so that he could frown at his friend. "I didn't get beaten by a girl. I got beaten by Kelly." John flinched as Kelly pulled his arm in a painful direction. "Ow, what was that for?"

"For calling me not a girl." Kelly frowned down at him. "I'm not a guy."

"You told me to not treat you like a girl." John was just getting confused. She got mad at him when he treated her like a girl, and now she was made for him saying she wasn't one.

"I said don't treat me differently because I'm a girl, not completely deny my gender." Kelly released him and moved off of his back. John sat up and massaged his shoulder. "I'm a girl, you just shouldn't treat me differently because of it."

"Fine, fine, you're a girl but you're no different from a boy. Happy?" Kelly nodded and John relaxed. He still didn't understand what she wanted. It was all so complicated. He was starting to think that girls were more trouble than they were worth. Not that he would ever give up having Kelly as a friend. She was worth the headache as far as he was concerned. He just wished he could treat her like one of the guys, but that seemed to upset her.

"So, then do you think that Kelly's cute?" Sam was obviously trying to cause trouble and make Kelly mad at John, but John didn't really have proof of that.

Kelly looked at him and John wasn't sure what to say. Would telling her she was cute make her happy or mad? Would it be treating her differently to tell her that she was cute? Would she then ask if he thought Sam was cute to see if he thought of her differently? Rather than reply John just stared at her, not able to find any words.

"So you don't think I'm cute?" A frown crossed Kelly's face as she spoke. At that moment John knew what answer would make her happy.

"Of course you're cute." It was John's true answer. He was just glad that it wouldn't anger her. "You're very cute."

Kelly smiled at the words and John noticed that her cheeks became a bit red. Well that answer seemed to have done the trick. "You're cute to, John." John wasn't sure how he felt about being called cute but since it was coming from Kelly he assumed she meant it in a good way.

"You do realize that boys aren't cute. They're tough, or handsome. Not cute." Sam cut in.

Kelly frowned at their friend. "Well John is cute. Cuter then you are." She put an arm around John's shoulder. "He is handsome and manly as well, but he's also cute."

"A boy can't be handsome and cute." Sam crossed his arms, not annoyed since she was praising John and had sort of insulted him.

"Well maybe you can't but John can. Guess he's not a boy. I suppose that makes him a man since he's not a girl or a woman." Kelly leaned against John, setting her cheek on his shoulder. John had no idea what to do. He'd somehow become stuck in this. All he'd wanted to do was try to best Kelly. How had things gone so wrong?

"Or maybe he's a girl. I mean if he's cute then he has to be a girl." John was sort of wishing that Sam would just stop, but his friend seemed determined to push it.

John jumped a bit as Kelly's hand forced its way under his shirt and up his chest. "What are you doing?" He felt his face heat as her hand moved over his skin. This was getting out of hand.

"Nope, his chest is…well not flat but it's not a woman's chest." John felt her hand trail over the muscles of his chest as she slowly pulled her hand out.

John stood up and moved away from the both of them. "All right, this ends here. Kelly, you are a cute girl. Sam, I am not a girl, and Kelly can call me whatever she wants to call me." He looked to Kelly. "But seriously, I'm not cute. I prefer any of the other terms, but cute…I just don't like it."

Kelly sighed and lay down on the gym floor. "Fine, you aren't cute." She seemed upset with the fact that he hadn't backed her, but right now he didn't care. She'd just been touching him and it had brought up some odd feeling he didn't understand. All he wanted to do was get away from all of this. He quickly moved out of the gym, hurrying away.


	119. Blue meets Noble

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Carter/Kat**

**Title: Blue meets Noble**

John looked up at the woman as she moved to stand before him. He didn't recognize the woman and she wasn't wearing any sign of her rank so he had no idea why she was there. He looked her over, trying again to figure out if he knew her. She had short black hair which was cut down to less than an inch in length. Her blue eyes trailed over him and held an odd look to them that John couldn't exactly identify. There was a scar on her cheek and a few on her arms. There was something familiar, but so alien about the woman at the same time. She stood with the sort of confidence that he'd seen some of the Spartan women have, the kind that Kelly flaunted when she was teasing him. Maybe that was why she seemed familiar. Her attitude reminded him of Kelly.

The woman took a seat across from him. Her moves were fluent and careful. It was a bit graceful, though it was hard to really tell. He was too used to being around Kelly and she was so precise with her movements it had become his view of what grace was. It usually caused other women to look clumsy, but this woman somehow still seemed graceful.

The stranger leaned a bit forward toward the table, setting her elbow on the table and putting her chin in her hand. "So, why you sitting alone, big man?"

John shifted uneasy at the words. It wasn't just the actual words, but the way she'd said them. There was a smirk on her face and her tone had been suggestive. It made him feel uncomfortable. "Because I like sitting alone." It wasn't completely the truth. He would have preferred there being other Spartans around, but they weren't and most normal soldiers avoided Spartans like they were the same as the aliens they were fighting.

The woman's smirk turned into a smile. "Well, I hope you don't mind me sitting with you. I was just sitting alone across the room and saw you here alone. I thought it might be better if we didn't have to sit alone."

John didn't know what to say to that. He didn't want to be mean and force her to leave, but he wasn't sure if he wanted her around. As far as he could tell she was attempting to flirt with him, as she seemed to be acting as Kelly did when she flirted, but she was taking a more cautious approach. Maybe it was because she didn't know him. He kind of wanted to keep it that way.

"So, you got a name?" The woman leaned in a bit more toward John. Her second arm was now resting on the table and John looked away a bit as he realized that she's tilted her body to give him a view of her cleavage.

John thought about what to tell her. Would informing her of his rank make her think again about flirting with him? Maybe just knowing he was a Spartan would do the trick. He decided to go both routes. "I'm Master Chief Petty Officer, John-117."

The woman just grinned. "Well, it's nice to meet you John. I'm Lieutenant Commander Catherine, though all my friends and teammates call me Kat."

It struck John as odd that she hadn't told him her last name but maybe she was lying about her rank and didn't want him looking her up. He decided to play it safe rather than sorry. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were an officer."

John moved to salute her but she stopped him. "I'm not very comfortable in a relaxed setting like this with soldiers treating me like an officer. It's why I don't wear my rank insignia."

John nodded, letting it go. It almost pained him not to follow protocol but offending this officer would be more trouble. Maybe it was why she was willing to flirt with him. Any NCO would be intimidated or hateful toward a Spartan, but an officer might have the confidence to approach him.

"So, I'm not really in the mood to waste too much time so why don't we just cut to the chase. Is there some woman I should be looking out for or are you free to be snatched up?" Kat's words were more forceful and serious.

John didn't know what to say to that. He couldn't exactly admit to his relationship with Kelly, for all he knew she was fishing for just that, and John couldn't risk it. Luckily he didn't have to answer. "Kat, leave the man be." John and Kat both looked behind her and John was relieved to see a man standing behind her. He was frowning at the woman before him. More importantly, Kelly was standing beside him. John was relieved to see the female Spartan.

Kelly moved around the table and took a seat beside John. Her arm rested lightly touching his and he allowed it. Maybe it would be enough to get Kat to back off.

"I'm not hurting anything," Kat argued. "John and I were just having a conversation." Kelly glanced toward John and he mouthed the word 'later' so she'd know he'd explain later. The man didn't seem at all convinced. "Oh, you're no fun, Commander." Great another officer, though at least this one could order Kat to stop.

"Why don't you take a seat, Carter? We hadn't finished our conversation." John glanced toward Kelly as she spoke. So she knew this man. He noticed that she said the man's name with an emphasis. Kat frowned when she said it and John got the idea. Admittedly he didn't like the way she'd said the other man's name either, but he kept that to himself.

Carter glanced at Kat and then at John. "I don't know if this is a proper place to continue that conversation." John glanced toward Kelly and she smiled at him. He got the hint that his assumption that it wasn't an innocent conversation as incorrect. He should have known better. Kelly had never been that kind of person. At least not with other men.

"Nonsense, sit." Carter reluctantly did as Kelly instructed and he sat down beside Kat. "I meant what I said. It's not such a bad thing really. I mean, new things are good, right?"

John wasn't sure what to make of what they were talking about. Without knowing what they were talking about beforehand he couldn't put the pieces together. He instead was watching Kat, who was looking at Carter and obviously not liking what she was inferring from the conversation.

"I know that new things are good, but I've never done anything like that." Carter made sure to stay focused on just Kelly. "How am I going to know that I'm going to like it?"

Kelly smirked and glanced toward John. There wasn't really anything in the glance, which made him realize they were being vague because Kat was inferring things from their conversation and they wanted her to think particular things. Kelly glancing at him was all a part of it. "Oh trust me, you'll like it."

Kat stood up and they all looked at her. "I'm going to go do something more productive." Kat moved away from the table and they all just watched her leave the cafeteria.

Carter turned back to Kelly. "Did we push it too far?" He seemed concerned.

Kelly shook her head. "No, though it would leave a perfect opportunity for you." Kelly glanced toward the clock and sighed. "My armor should be ready now." She turned to John and he was jealous that her armor was ready. He had another half an hour. They hadn't even gotten to have any time alone because they'd both had work to do. "I'll see you after you get your armor." She stood up and looked to Carter. "It was nice to meet you, Commander." She then moved out of the room and the two men watched her leave.

"She's very nice, and helpful." Carter looked to John and he felt unsure of what to say to respond to the officer. "Sorry about Kat. She's just…annoyed with me. I'm sorry if she annoyed you."

"Does she often flirt with men when she's annoyed with you?" John didn't want to assume that she'd been annoyed for what he guessed but if he did he would have likely been correct.

"Not that I know of." Carter shrugged. He stood up and sighed. "I'm sorry, I've got to go." John nodded and the man moved off, heading out the way Kat had gone.

John was left alone and he decided that he didn't want to sit alone. He stood up and moved out to head to the lab where he knew he'd find Kelly. He jogged a bit to catch up to her but it wasn't hard as she had been walking and had only left moments ago.

Kelly looked back to him as he slowed to walk beside her. "Couldn't stand being stuck in a conversation with a Commander?" she teased.

John shook his head. "He left. I decided that sticking with you would be more interesting than sitting alone."

Kelly smirked and shook her head. "You could just say that because you want to shamelessly watch me strip to get into my armor."

John shrugged. "Well, that is a bonus. It is after all guilt free." Kelly laughed and he smiled, enjoying the sound of it. There just wasn't as much to laugh about these days. "So what were you and the Commander talking about?"

Kelly smirked. "Do you remember that you used to be really uptight about our relationship?" John nodded. "Well, he's having the same problem. He's having trouble setting aside the rules for his relationship. I was just giving him some advice to relax. Told him to do what you did to me."

John frowned, trying to think back. "Which thing?" Kelly just laughed again and sped up a bit. John had to move faster to keep up with him, but she never did answer his question.


	120. Too Soon

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Too soon**

Kelly had sent the kids off to school and was just finishing cleaning up the mess that Avery had made during breakfast when John walked into the kitchen. "Heading off to your meeting?"

John moved over and put a light kiss on her cheek. "Yeah, I'll be back in a couple hours. You going into do some testing?"

Kelly shook her head. "No, they've got nothing for me today. I'm going to do some cleaning around the house." She pulled him down and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Good luck in your meeting."

John smiled and kissed her one last time. "I'll be back soon." He moved out of the kitchen and Kelly watched him go. Since the kids weren't around she stared at him as he walked away from her. After all, there was nothing wrong with leering at your spouse.

"You just can't help yourself." Kelly looked over to the holopad, surprised to see Gabriel's Avatar standing there, smiling at her. "Can't help but watch him go."

"What can I say? He's gong a lovely ass. How is a girl supposed to help herself?" Kelly moved over to stand next to holopad and smiled at the Avatar. "It's good to see you Gabe. It's been a while."

"It has been a very long time, Bunny. Since I last saw you you've gotten married, have kids, and you've become completely adjusted to calm relaxing life. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Well, even a Spartan girl can want the whole normal package. Though I'm surprised as you are that this is a point I actually reached." Kelly's smiled softened. "Never thought I'd get what I wanted."

"You are not one to give up without getting what you want, Bunny." Gabriel grinned and fluttered his wings a bit. "Though I can't believe you have four kids. That seems a bit much."

"It was supposed to be two, but the first two were both boys and I wanted a girl. It's all John's fault that there's four of them." Kelly chuckled. "Oh, and only John can call me Bunny now. You can still call me Rabbit."

Gabriel's smile fell a bit. "Oh, I can't call you Bunny? You don't need to worry, I won't be calling you it for much longer." The smile fell from Kelly's face. There was a sad tone to the AIs usually upbeat voice. "I came here for a reason, Bunny." Gabriel's avatar fidgeted slightly. It was such a human thing to do. "It seems that they have flagged me as too far into rampancy, Bunny. They plan on deleting me today. I wanted to spend my last moments with my partner."

The news hit Kelly and she didn't know what to think. It was like her friend had told her that he was sick and was going to die in less than a day. "Is there anything I can do?"

Gabriel shook his head. "You and I both know that there is no way to stop rampancy. Soon I will fully think myself to death. At times I forget what I am. I don't want to stay like that, Bunny. What they are doing is for the best."

Kelly reached out toward the hologram. Gabriel reached out as well and the transparent hand of his avatar passed through Kelly's finger. "I don't want you to go, Gabe."

Gabriel smiled softly. "They say those that are dead are never really gone. You and I had good memories together. You made the days I had happy ones. I was glad to be there to protect you, to help you when I could. You were my friend, Bunny. This is why I'm here. I'm here to thank you for all of it."

"You are my friend, Gabriel. I won't ever forget you, or the good times we had together." Kelly's hand trailed over the edge of the holopad. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'd say I'll miss you, Bunny, but what doesn't exist can't miss anything." Gabriel sighed and he spread his wings. "Well, I must go. It is time. I just wanted to tell you that, I wanted you to know. I love you, Bunny, even if you didn't love me back the same. Thank you, Bunny, for all of it." With that the AI's wings moved around him and enveloped his body. The fell apart into nothing but feathers which drifted down and vanished into the base of the holopad.

Kelly just stared at the holopad for a while, the tears falling from her eyes silently. It was just like that and the AI who had saved her life a few times, who had been her friend, who she'd trusted with so much was gone.

John walked into his house and the first thing he realized was that the house looked exactly the same. The air didn't smell of any cleaners and the table beside the door was still smudged. He expected to smell something if Kelly had cleaned. "Bunny?" He moved into the kitchen where he'd last seen her and she wasn't there. He moved around the lower level and then upstairs. He checked the kids' rooms, thinking that she might be picking up after them but she wasn't there.

He finally found her lying on their bed, curled up under the covers. John moved to the side of the bed. His hand moved to run over her hair and he leaned down a bit. "Honey, are you feeling all right?" Kelly didn't respond so John moved his hand to her forehead. It felt normal. "Please tell me it's not morning sickness again." He hoped maybe a joke would get her to talk to him. Kelly finally opened her eyes and John could see that they were slightly red. He ran a hand over her cheek and could feel the moisture that still remained. "Kelly, what happened?"

"You know, I realized that we've never had a friend who could really say goodbye. I mean, Sam was the closest that I've ever known. Usually our friend are just gone, like that killed from a blast or a shot." Kelly sat up a bit and put her head against John's chest. He pulled her up so that she could rest her cheek against his shoulder as he held her. "They deleted Gabriel."

John sighed and wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her. "I'm sorry, Bunny. I know that you and he were close." He placed a kiss to the side of her head, just letting her lay there. He knew there wasn't much he could say. When they'd had to delete Cortana it had made him sad, but unlike John in the most recent years, when Gabriel would have really been going rampant, Kelly hadn't seen him. John had known it was coming. For Kelly it was out of the blue."

"We both knew it was coming, so why does it hurt this much?" She buried her face against his neck.

"Because even though we know it is one day coming, we always tell ourselves it is so far in the future. We ignore the signs as best we can, ignore how long they've existed, forget sometimes that they are AI. In the end when it comes we feel like it is too soon, because they are our friends, and for our friends, it is always too soon for them to leave." John ran a hand over her back and leaned back on the bed, allowing her to fully rest against him. "I'm sorry, Kelly."

She didn't say anything back, just curled up more against him and shut her eyes, letting him calm her as she held onto him.


	121. New Alexandria

**Pairing: Carter/Kat  
**

**Title: New Alexandria**

Kat let out a breath as she got a report from the last of the evacs in the south was up and away. That meant she could check off another block of the city as having been evacuated. Kat checked over the map glad to see so many of the areas were now green. The flight paths seemed to be going well, keeping the civilians far away from the Covenant ships which seemed more interested in glassing the forces still on the ground.

Kat had just gotten word from the marines that Noble Six had taken out the snipers that had kept them pinned down. It hadn't surprised her that she'd been contacted by the marines and not her teammate. Six didn't seem to know how to use her voice properly most of the time, only speaking when it was absolutely necessary.

Kat switched her COMM to the main channel so she could report in. She made sure keep things formal as she was aware that it was a combat situation and that Noble Six was listening. "Noble Two to Noble Leader. All Jammers are down." She could tell that her voice gave away that she was still tense. She was still waiting for something to go wrong, for them to find out that there was going to be no way to get away.

Carter's voice was more calm, casual. Whatever Covenant that he'd been fighting must have been dead and there must have been no more threat. Kat couldn't help but feel some of her own tension wash away with his words. "_Solid copy, Noble Two. New orders: all personnel are to be evacuated from ONI HQ. Say confirm_." Kat could almost see him standing in a field of dead aliens, gun loosely in his hand and hand pressed causally to the side of his helmet as he spoke.

Kat now felt relaxed and her tone echoed it. "Confirm, ONI tower evacu- ah!" The building around her shook as plasma washed over the side. She could hear shouts over the radio that some of the other soldier in the room had left on. Shouts of something about phantoms. Debris fell from the already damaged roof above, falling to the floor. Kat put her hands up above her head to keep anything from hitting her.

"_Noble Two! Noble Two, sitrep_!" There was fear and horror in the Commander's voice. There was nothing being on the other side of a radio when something bad happened to make a person worry.

Kat lowered her arms and pressed her hand to the earpiece in her ear. "Covies are hitting the tower in force! They must have zeroed my signal!" She saw a group of banshees moving around and noticed the phantoms as they moved to the buildings outside.

"_Get that evac started_!" Carter ordered.

If she wasn't being attacked by the Covenant she would have snapped at him for thinking that she wouldn't still do her job. Though right now she didn't have the time to argue, so she just accepted it. "Roger that. Noble Six, get over here and cover our evac Pelicans. I need you now!" Kat turned to the other soldiers in the room. "All of you get out. Make your way to the pelicans. They'll take you away."

None of them questioned her order, just grabbed their weapons and made for the door. Kat looked to the window where a trio of banshees streaked past the window. She wondered where Noble Six was. A voice came over her radio reporting of long range shade turrets. "Copy, Whisky, 35. Noble Six, take out those enemy shades."

Kat turned her attention to the terminal. She wasn't going to get an answer from Noble six, she'd just trust the other Spartan to do as she was told. Kat sent out orders to the pelican pilots and then turned her attention to the defenses. She marked all the shades for Noble Six so that she could target them easier.

Kat dove to the ground as something crashed through the window. She looked up to see that a banshee was caught in some wires that had fallen loose from the ceiling above. It tried to move lose but it only managed to slam against the wall and it fell to the ground, pulling the wires lose. The pilot compartment opened and the elite jumped out. Kat grabbed her pistol as it turned to look at her.

The alien ran toward her as it grabbed its plasma rifle. Kat raised her weapon as it raised its own. It fired and Kat ducked to the side just in time to be missed by the plasma. She cursed the fact that she was missing her helmet. It had been easier to link up to the system and use the tower's systems without it, and it had allowed her to look at the circuits better. Unfortunately, it meant that she wasn't very well protected.

The elite turned toward her. Kat squeezed off two rounds but they couldn't cut through the elite's shield. The alien jumped forward and tackled Kat to the ground. She struck out, slamming her gun into the side of the elite's head. It snapped one of the alien's mandibles but it just roared at her, a quarter of its mouth hanging at an odd angle. The elite's hand wrapped around her neck and it squeezed. Kat moved her gun so it was against the elite's head. She fired three times and the shield went down. The fourth round broke apart the elite's helmet and it skimmed the alien's head. It backed away, trying to get some distance.

Kat didn't give it a chance to get away. She sat up enough so that she could raise the gun and she fired. The round went right through the alien's skull and it fell to the ground. Kat rolled to her feet and got up. She moved back over to her terminal and checked on Six. The markers she'd placed were gone and she was glad to see that Noble Six had destroyed three of the turrets. Enough for one of the pelicans to get away. "Whiskey 35, you are clear to proceed with evac." She switched to an outside camera that was still online so she could see the pelican.

"_Copy command, much obliged_." The pelican moved away and Kat was glad to see that they met no other resistance.

"Noble six, lose those Shade turrets so those pelicans can get out of here." Kat turned her attention to tracking the rest of Noble team. They were almost to the tower and would meet up with her not long from now. For right now she just focused on the pelicans. She watched the shade turrets vanish. Kat urged Six to destroy the last of the turrets as the pilot of the second pelican was getting antsy.

The last of the shades was destroyed and Kat sent the last pelican on its way. All of the tower levels had been cleared and she could relax a bit. "Noble Six, you're one steely-eyed Spartan. I'm extending the vertical landing platform. Come home, Six." Kat hit the controls and the landing pad extended. It would be a bit before Six would reached their room. For now she could focus on the fact that they still lacked a connection with Command. The attack had knocked out her connection with them. She moved to a panel on the wall and pulled it free. She looked over the console, getting to work.

Kat only looked up when someone walked in. Carter looked around the room and moved toward Kat. "What happened here?"

"Just a little intruder trying to get in my way." She smiled at him as he moved to stand near her. She leaned to the side and looked behind him. "Where's the team?"

"Looking to make sure you don't have any other intruders." Carter removed his helmet and put it under his arm. He smirked a bit. "The evacuation is over. You going to tell me what's bothering you?"

Kat frowned when he brought it up. She wasn't ready to tell him yet. He would need time to process it, and the team could be back any moment. "I meant when you and I are evacuated from this place." She glanced behind him to be sure no one was coming. "Don't be mad. I promise I'll tell you, but we need to get out of here first." She stretched up and kissed him. Carter's free hand moved to her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Kat pulled away from him and smiled. She stopped when she saw Emile standing in the doorway. He didn't say anything, just walked in and sat down on the ground. His head was low and Kat felt bad about flaunting the fact that her lover was still alive, and his wasn't. Kat moved back to the console and knelt down at it, getting back to work. Carter stayed close to her, hovering behind her until Jun arrived. He looked at the two of them and Carter must have realized how his hovering looked and he moved across the room to the wrecked banshee. He leaned against it and Jun moved to the window to remain as a lookout.

Kat looked to Carter who caught her eye for a moment. She wondered again if she made the right choice by not telling him. She banished those thoughts. She had to get them a connection with command.


	122. Family

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: Family**

Kat leaned against the door frame, just watching the three soldiers inside. Carter was currently scolding Emile for having gotten in a fight with Thom over something. She'd come in on the whole scene too late to know the full story. Carter sent the two men away and Kat moved into the room.

Carter turned toward her and frowned as he spotted the smile on her face. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

Kat moved to stand before him, her eyes looking over his chest. Sure, might have been in armor, but she'd seen him out of it enough to know full well what was under it. Her mind was more than willing to replace the cold blue metal with the toned body beneath. Her gaze turned back to his face and he was scowling, well aware of what she'd just been doing. "You."

Carter shook his head. "I don't know what I did to make you so happy." Carter moved over to a chair and sat down on one side of the table.

Kat moved to the other side and took a seat. She leaned forward on the table toward Carter. "It was just that you looked like a father, scolding his two sons for having been fighting."

"I am not their father." Carter crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. "Noble team is just that, a team. Not a family."

"Well I don't know about that. Aren't most teams like family? I mean, you're like the father, I'm their mother. Both of us tell them what to do and although tradition dictates that you should be in charge I don't always pay attention to you." Kat smirked a bit. "Emile is like that child we'll always wonder if I drank too much or something while carrying him and he turned out…well just not quite right."

"You are no one's mother, Kat." Carter was visibly uncomfortable with the conversation. Kat didn't really understand why, but there was something that stung about his words.

"What if I wanted to be someone's mother?" Carter looked across the table at Kat, not sure how to take her words. "Either way, we are a family."

"Then we're one messed up family." Carter moved his chair so that he could sit facing away from Kat and turned toward the screen on the other side of the room. It was running a local news channel. Kat recognized it as his way of signally that he was trying to ignore the conversation, but she wouldn't let him.

"Well just look at our family. Of course they are messed up. Emile is that questionable child. Jorge is like an adopted son who is a little too close to Emile." Carter's brow furrowed and looked to Kat, not understanding. "Thom is our son who wants to be older than he is. Jun is the kid we adopted who still isn't sure if he fits in. He will babble on and on but you and I both know that under that talk he's just trying to hide the fact that it's not that easy for him to deal."

Carter sighed and turned his gaze back to the news. "Well it's good they aren't our kids. If we had kids they would be much more normal. More adjusted."

Kat leaned forward onto the table so that she was more relaxed. "Tell me more about what our kids would be like." She moved so that her arms were crossed on the table and her head was resting on them. "What would they look like?"

Carter frowned at him. "I'm not doing this, Kat. It's pointless."

"It would make me happy. Is that not a good enough reason?" Kat pouted and Carter stared intently at the screen, knowing that it would be harder to say no if he looked at her.

"It would only hurt you in the end." Carter hesitated for a moment. "We could never have a family like that and you know it." Carter risked a glance and looked over to the Lieutenant Commander. Her look had gone from a pout to a full depressed appearance. "Kat, don't do this. Put it out of your head." He stood from his seat.

"Is it really that bad for me to want to have a family?" Kat asked.

"Didn't you just say that Noble Team is our family? You want a family, then make them your family. Don't lament over what can't be when you have something that can fill its place." He didn't stick around, knowing that if he did he would give into her sad look and start playing along, telling her what she wanted to hear.

Kat watched him leave. Maybe he was right. Maybe she should focus on what she had, rather than what she could never have.


	123. Blue

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title: Blue**

John moved around the base, in search of his female friend. His hand absently scratched as the fuzz that was all that was left of his hair. He hadn't seen Kelly since the DIs had been forced to hold her down so that her hair could be cut off. John had been impressed. He'd never known that a girl could fight like that. As their training progressed John was more and more sure that she wouldn't drag him down like he'd originally thought.

John finally found Kelly behind the armory, her knees tucked up to her chest and her back to the wall. John moved over to her and crouched down. "What's wrong with you?" His hand reached out and ran over her hair. It was just as fuzzy as his but it felt softer. "Your hair is actually brown."

Kelly's hand slapped his way. "Just leave me alone." She glared up at him before curling back up. It was odd to John to see her acting so weak after she'd been so strong earlier.

He wasn't really sure what to do, though. She was upset, but John was awful at making unhappy people happy. Still, he couldn't just leave her there. She was his friend after all. John sat down beside her and pulled his knees up to his chest. They were silent for a minute and then John forced himself to say something. "It was pretty cool the way you disarmed the barber."

Kelly didn't look over at him but still replied. "What does it matter? They still took my hair. I'm never going to get it back." Her words were muffled a bit but John understood them.

"Wait, this is all over hair? You do realize that it will grow back. I mean, it won't be just fuzz forever. I 'm sure when we're out of training they'll let you grow it out a bit." John had to admit that without longer hair the girls looked weird. Like they were all just a ton of boys. If it weren't for the slimmer look to Kelly's features he wouldn't have been able to tell her gender.

"I don't mean just hair. I mean my _blue_ hair. I want my blue hair back. They aren't going to let my dye my hair again. I want my blue back." Kelly looked up and John could see that she was crying a bit. He fought the urge to just leave. He didn't like being around crying girls.

"Why does it matter what color your hair is? I mean, it's just hair." John didn't know what to do. He wasn't big on hugging, and patting her on the head didn't seem right.

"You just don't get it. I had chosen blue for a reason. I wanted him to be happy when he got home." Kelly put her forehead against her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging them tight.

John raised an eyebrow, confused. "Wanted who to be happy? What do you mean 'when he got home'?" John couldn't even guess what she was talking about. No one had left, and he didn't see how blue hair would make anyone happy.

"My dad," Kelly answered. John frowned, furrowing his brow as he listened. "My dad has a job that makes him go away for long times. He was finally coming home after being away for months. My mom we should try out best to make him happy at home. He always liked the color blue. His pajamas were blue, his suit was blue, his car was a dark blue. I thought that if I had blue hair it would make him happy and he'd stay this time." Kelly began to cry again but she leaned toward John and rested against his shoulder. "I want my parents back."

John didn't know what to do. He'd never had a girl lean on him when she was crying. He didn't know what to tell her either. They all knew they were never going to see their parents again. He just let her cry against him until she stopped. By the time she had Kelly had moved to put her head in his lap and they sat in the silence. "You know I've been reading."

Kelly turned on John's lap so that she could look up at her friend. "What've you been reading about?" Her eyes were still red and there was still a few tears on her cheeks.

"About military stuff. Did you know that they sometimes name teams after colors?" Kelly shook her head and John continued. "I was thinking. If we get to choose colors we should chose the color blue. They are usually the main team after all. As long as you and I agree Sam can't out vote us."

"What if they don't let us choose?" Kelly asked.

"Well then Blue team is usually the best team. So we'll just have to be the best of all the teams, then we'll get to be blue." John stared down at her as she thought about it.

Kelly nodded. "We can diffidently beat up all the other teams." Kelly sat up and for the first time since Kelly's hair had been shaved she smiled at him. Kelly hugged him and John had no idea what to do. His six-year-old mind told him that girls were gross and that he should push her away, but he didn't. "You're a great friend, John." His arms wrapped around her and hugged her back.

"Your best friend?" John was pretty sure that the other kids back home would mock him for this. They would tease him for hugging a girl, but they didn't matter anymore. He'd never see them or anyone he ever knew again.

"The best I've ever had." Kelly hugged him a bit tighter. He always liked being the best.


	124. A Distraction

**Pairing: John/Kelly, sort of John/Linda**

**Title: A distraction**

John sat to the side of the track, catching his breath. The water bottle was forgotten in his hand as he just watched the group of girls running around the track. None of them were running at full pace, rather all at the same steady speed so that they could talk to each other. Grace must have told a joke because they all seemed to laugh. John really wasn't paying attention to all of them, he was just watching one of them.

He didn't realize that it would be this hard to deal with the lack of her affection. He cursed himself for having let himself become so attached to her and the way she'd made him feel. He couldn't help the way that his eyes followed her legs as she jogged, since the speed she was going was much too far from her full run it could only be jogging. He'd always told himself he had to put aside his emotions in order to be squad leader, but he couldn't help these feelings. He had tried to remove them since he'd broken it off with Kelly but each time they always came back.

"I bet I can guess which one you're staring at." John looked toward Linda as she spoke. He suppressed his embarrassment, which wasn't hard. He simply brought back up his frustration toward not being able to stop the feeling. "I can guess that you aren't looking at Adriana, or Kathleen, and I would have to say it is unlikely that you're looking at Sheila. Oh, and Grace is right out of the running."

John cursed inwardly, she'd named off all the girls except for Kelly. Had he really been that obvious? He'd thought that watching her while she was around others would at least sort of hide his intentions, at least hide who he was watching. "What do you want, Linda?"

"You've been in a funk for the last few days." Linda sat down beside him and he returned his gaze to Kelly, unable to help himself. Lind already knew anyway, so what good did it do to try to lie to her when she knew and also fight himself. "I think it would have to do with a certain female member of the squad."

"I don't know why you'd think that." John was going to deny it no matter how true it was. He was still performing fine as a soldier, but when not in those situations he had been a bit distracted lately. He'd still stuck close to Kelly and Sam, but he'd been a bit off lately. He could tell it but apparently it was obvious enough that other members of the squad were realizing it.

Linda sighed but John still didn't look at her. "Listen, I don't know what happened between you two but that's not my business anyway. I can basically guess that, since you have been staring at her from time to time, it has to do with those pesky hormones that you boys seem to be fighting with these days since becoming teens." John had to admit one thing, Linda was observant. "I just want you to know that I am more than happy to help you with your problem."

John now looked to Linda, intrigued and confused by her comment. "How can you help me?" His gaze turned back to Kelly. They'd broken it off mutually, though she'd fought him a bit on it. In the end they had decided together that they had to break up. He didn't see how Linda could change it.

John watched as the girls started to move off toward the lockers and he watched them leave, trying to decide if it would be too obvious if he followed them. His thought was cut off when Linda grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "I can take your mind off of her." Linda's lips touched to his. At first he hesitated and John didn't return the kiss, not exactly comfortable. She tried to deepen it and John simply opened himself to it. He sort of returned it but something felt different. Something was different from when he'd kiss Kelly. Something seemed to be missing.

Linda finally pulled away and she sat back, waiting for him to tell her what he thought. John sat for a moment, trying to figure out how he'd felt about it. It hadn't been unpleasant, but the odd difference between the two women had him confused and unsure. He decided that before putting much more thought into it he would have to point out the problems. "I broke it off with her because relationships are against the rules. We would be putting our place in the Spartans at risk."

Linda shrugged. "That doesn't matter much to me. The most they'd do is probably punish us, send us to the brig, or maybe move me out of your team. It's too far into the program though for them to kick us out." Linda was right. He felt just a bit bad that the first thing he thought of was if those were the worst punishments, would he be willing to risk it again with Kelly. He decided he wasn't willing to risk losing her on his team. He wanted her and Sam to stay close to him, and he didn't want to risk either of them being around.

"So you're willing to risk being taken off of my team?" Oddly John wasn't all that worried either. Linda was a great sniper, and losing her would be bad, but he had to admit she wasn't really close to any of them. She'd do fine in any team, and she'd have no problem if she was suddenly changed to Red or green team.

Linda shrugged. "It doesn't matter much to me. So, what do you think?" Linda leaned toward him and John leaned away. She leaned in enough that John ended up falling to his back. She settled her elbows on his chest and he frowned at the pain from where she was jabbing him.

John sighed and made a decision. "All right. Help me keep my mind off of her."


	125. Fear

**Pairing: Jorge/Emile**

**Title: Fear**

Jorge leaned back against the wall, allowing his head to fall back against the metal behind him. He glanced to the side as Emile sat down. It wasn't often that the Spartan III joined Jorge purely of his own free will, so Jorge didn't question why he was there. If Emile wanted something, he'd bring it up. He'd never been shy about what he wanted, and he didn't understand the point of being subtle.

"You read overt the file of our new Six?" There was an edge of apprehension to Emile's voice. Thom's death had shaken them all. It had shaken the entire team because not only had they lost a teammate, almost lost Kat, but it had shaken Noble One and Two, and they were the foundation that Noble stood on. When your pillars are weak, the structure can sway and feel unsteady. Though, in the more recent weeks Jorge had noticed that the two of them seemed stronger again. Maybe even stronger than before Thom's death.

"I've read it." Jorge had ready over the very short report. It had been made by Kat in order to inform them of information about their new Six. It hadn't had much helpful information. It has no real service record, no name, no history really. It did inform him that their new Six was a woman, and a Lieutenant. He hadn't gotten much more then that out of the information.

Emile stared at him and Jorge wasn't really sure what he wanted him to say. What was there to say about some new soldier that he didn't know that was joining them. "So, what do you think?"

"About what?" Jorge frowned at his partner. "What do I think about a soldier that I know nothing about? That report was the most uninformative piece of writing I've ever read."

"I mean about our new Six being a girl." Emile's voice was edged with frustration. "I mean, why do you think that the Commander chose a woman?"

Emile was getting at something, but Jorge didn't feel like playing that game right now. Instead, Jorge replied, more defensive then he should have been. "Maybe because she's skilled for the job or she fits the team. Maybe he didn't even look at what the soldier's gender was. I mean, one's sex doesn't make a soldier."

Emile was silent, which was odd. It was a fairly good opening for Emile to make a joke poking toward what he was really trying to get at but he was going to let it pass. Jorge looked away from his friend, a bit unnerved by his odd behavior. "You going to tell me what's wrong?"

Jorge turned to Emile, a bit surprised by the comment. It wasn't usual for Emile to even notice that Jorge was upset. Maybe their relationship was having an effect on the violent Spartan. After letting out a long breath Jorge gave in and answered. "The Spartans will be on Reach when we're there."

Emile didn't seem to get it right away. He didn't appear to see a problem with the Spartans being there. "All right, I'm stumped. Why does that have you all upset?"

"I haven't seen the Spartans in a very long time." It seemed so silly when he said it, but there were deep feelings that Jorge felt around the other Spartans. What would they think of him, the only surviving member of Gold team? He wasn't sure if he wanted to face them. "I haven't seen them since Gold team existed."

Emile's shoulders slumped and he fidgeted for a moment. "I still don't get it. I mean…" Emile hung his head and Jorge stared at him. He looked around the room to be sure no one was around before he spoke. "You know the only one that thinks different of you for surviving is yourself."

The words caught Jorge by surprise. They were very deep for Emile. It concerned Jorge a bit to see his partner acting so odd. "And how would you know that?"

Emile groaned, as though explaining was painful. "Because I joined Noble right after Karri died. When I joined I thought that they would all look at me odd for having survived when she didn't. Really, I was the only one that really thought about it at all. They just saw me as Emile, Noble Four. We are all survivors, Jorge. You, me, Carter, Kat. Even Jun's a survivor. I'm sure this new Six is no different. What I found is that they don't think of the ones gone. They're just happy that anyone is alive."

Jorge thought about what he said and he admitted that the other Spartan was correct. They had all ended up on Noble after having survived something. The fact that they'd made it this far was purely by chance, only because somehow they had survived. "You know, I think that might be just what I needed to hear." His hand moved over and settled over Emile's. The other Spartan didn't pull away.

"Well, sitting around and worry about how people will look at us just pisses off the dead, anyway. I mean, they died and if you were their friends then they would have wanted you to survive. I mean, do you really think that Gold team would have wanted you to have died with them?" Emile looked away from the larger man. He stiffened as Jorge grabbed him up in a hug. "All right, back off, big man."

Jorge hugged him a bit tighter, resting his head against Emile's helmet. There was a flash and the two men looked over to see Kat standing with a camera in hand. She was smirking. Emile pushed away from Jorge and slumped in his seat. Kat held up the camera. "Blackmail."

"I hate you." Emile crossed his arms but Kat was still smirking. She turned and moved out of the room. Jorge looked to Emile but the Spartan only stood and paused for a moment. "We probably won't see the Spartan IIs anyway." He then walked out of the room, leaving Jorge alone with his thoughts.


	126. Lesson

**Pairings: Fred/Will(sort of) Will/Kathleen, Fred/Kathleen**

**Title: Lesson**

Fred shifted uncomfortably on the cot. "I don't know about this." He really wasn't sure if he wanted to go through with it. It had seemed like a good idea at first, but that had all changed once they were about to actually go through with it.

"Oh, come on, I'm doing you a favor." Will frowned at his best friend beside him on the cot. "You know that it will help you in the long run, so what's the problem?"

"I'm just not sure if I'm comfortable with going through with it. I mean, I don't think I'm okay with it." Fred slouched a bit. "Besides, why do I need help? I don't think she's going to change her mind."

"You think she's not going to change her mind but you can't assume that." Will moved a bit closer to his friend. "Listen, I'm not exactly comfortable with it either, but I'm willing to put that aside to help you. Just pretend that I'm her. It's not that hard. I'm going to be doing the same thing to you."

Fred scowled at his friend. "I don't want you thinking about doing that to her. I thought I was clear about how I felt about that sort of thing."

"Oh come on, you can at least let me have my thoughts. I mean, if I can't have the physical thing then you're really going to bar me from thinking about her like that?" Will rolled his eyes. This was all so stupid to him but he was trying to be reasonable.

"Are you two just going to sit there and talk the whole time or are you going to get to the action?" The two male trainees turned to look back at Kathleen. She was sitting on the cot behind them, datapad at the ready to record.

"Do you really need pictures?" Kathleen frowned at Will and he sighed. "Fine, fine, take as many pictures as you like. Just don't rush us."

"Well if you don't get a move on it I'm going to go see if I can find John. Latest news is that something happened and he and Kelly have become a bit distant. I might be able to slip in while they're fighting and get me some squad leader affection."

"No." Fred said the word a bit quicker then he'd like to admit. He hated the thought of competing against John again and he was a bit afraid he'd end up losing. He turned to Will and let out a long breath. "Just do it."

Will shrugged, just doing as he was told. He leaned toward Fred, gently pressing their lips together. Both of them hesitated and Fred did all he could to just pretend that the lips against his were Kathleen's. Apparently Will didn't have as much trouble because Fred soon felt Will's hand on the back of his neck and the other man started to kiss him fully.

Fred was having more trouble than his friend. He found it difficult to imagine the hand on the back of his neck as Kathleen's. It was just too big to be her hand. He then realized that at some point he'd opened his mouth to the other trainee and his tongue was moving over Will's unconsciously. He hadn't even been aware of when he'd opened his mouth or when Will's tongue had started to clash with his.

After that Fred didn't find it as hard to replace Will with Kathleen. The other man was forceful, dominant, just like she always seemed to be. He just tried to focus on the way that Will's mouth and tongue worked, trying to learn whatever the trick was that he'd used to so easily gain control over him. The problem was that it was hard to focus with the other man's tongue crammed into this mouth.

Fred and Will suddenly moved apart when Will's hand, which had been slowly moving up Fred's side found his chest. Will scowled and glared at Kathleen. "I'm not doing that again."

"You're an idiot," Kathleen countered. "You should have gone for his butt, not his chest." She shook her head and focused on the screen in her hand. "Though I will admit that it was very hot. Just a bit short."

"Well too bad, because we aren't doing that again. I don't want to grab his butt either." Will put on a disgusted face. "I don't want to touch any part of him."

"Well, speak for yourself. I can think of several parts of him I'd like to grab." Kathleen smirked as a light blush spread over Fred's cheeks. Kathleen moved over to the same cot as the two men. "Fine, you don't have to do it again. I got plenty of good footage."

"Were you really recording that?" Fred fought not to move toward her in an instinct to assert that he was still with her and distance himself from what he'd just done. Kathleen showed him the screen of the pad and he looked away as the footage played. "I can't believe you actually like watching that."

"Don't try to understand girls." Will shook his head. "You'll drive yourself insane trying to understand why they like some things."

"Now wait just a moment. If I gave you footage of me and Kelly making out you'd be all for it. How is this exactly different other than that you two are guys and Kelly and I are girls?" Kathleen rolled her eyes. "I mean, if it's all right for a guy to like two girls together, I don't see why a girl can't like two guys."

"All right, all right, I'll concede that. I will admit that there shouldn't be a double standard on a gender liking to watch two of the gender opposite them making out." Will stood up and looked to Fred. "I really wish you luck, man. You'll probably need it." With that he moved out of the room.

Kathleen lay down on the cot, making herself comfortable. "I told you it wouldn't be that bad."

Fred frowned as he thought. It hadn't been anything that would have killed him, but it still hadn't been pleasant. "Wait, what exactly did I get out of this? I mean you got the footage, Will gets forgiveness for those comments he made, but what did I get?"

"Well, now that you have the base lesson, you get to practice that technique until you have it mastered." Kathleen smirked at him and beckoned him to her.

Fred caught her meaning and moved over to half lay beside her as he leaned over her. He brought his lips to hers and he tried to copy Will's movements but he knew it wasn't quite right. It didn't matter, since this was his first attempt, and he was more than willing to keep trying until he got it right.


	127. Injury

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Injury**

Kelly crouched behind the warthog, listening for the sounds of her enemy. She tried to filter out the sound of the fire burning on the vehicle behind her. Kelly glanced to her side where John was also crouched. His gaze was forward and she was sure he was concentrating on the sound like she was. The two of them had been separated from the rest of the team. The falcon that they'd been on was hit by some plasma. John's security strap had snapped and Kelly had tried to stop him falling. Her attempt had worked, until the falcon was hit again. The two of them had fallen from the vehicle as the falcon tried to retreat from the plasma fire.

The crash had done some damage to their armor, though it had at least minimized the damage to them. Kelly knew that it had caused her some trouble. She was fairly sure something was bleeding inside of her, and she was pretty sure that her ribs were bruised. Not that she was letting it show. She'd told John that she wasn't hurt, and he had believed her. John was limping a bit and Kelly guessed that his leg had to be injured, though from the way that he seemed a bit out of it, sometimes pausing just a bit more than usual he might also have a head injury. The pause wasn't enough to affect their fighting, just enough for her to notice.

There was a bark in the air and Kelly heard a familiar whining noise. Kelly gripped her knife a bit tighter and her hand went to the grenade on her belt. John looked to her and he nodded. Kelly prepared herself, knowing that she'd only have a few seconds in order to do what she had to. She had to trust John to be able to handle the grunts while she took care of the tank.

The grunts passed the warthog, too focused on walking forward to look where the two Spartans were hiding. Kelly waited until they passed her before she moved. Kelly moved behind the grunts and ran straight toward the wraith tank. She saw the turret swivel toward her but she didn't stop. She jumped up onto the tank and forcibly made a handhold. Plasma hit her arm and she gripped the tank tighter as she pulled her other arm back. She hit downward and shoved the grenade into the pilot's compartment.

Kelly moved to get off of the wraith but she was hit by the turret. Plasma splashed over her chest and helmet and she lost her grip on the tank. She fell to the ground at the base of the tank, stunned for just a moment. She knew the tank was going to blow and she put her hands on her head to try to protect herself a bit. Heat washed over her as the tank exploded, but it wasn't as much as she had expected. Kelly opened her eyes and spotted an armored hand braced on the ground beside her head.

John moved and Kelly looked back at him. He moved off of her enough for her so she could move. Kelly moved a bit out from under him and turned over so she could face him. The back of his armor was smoking from the heat. Kelly moved out from under him but swayed a bit. Her chest burned and her vision swam for a moment. Arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned into John to try to get her balance back.

Kelly righted herself though she was still unsteady. She couldn't figure out why it was that she was unbalanced. Her head felt sort of clear and there was no reason her bodily injuries would cause such an effect. Kelly gripped onto John's armor as the world remained uneasy. She was slightly aware of him helping her over to a building and assisting her in sitting down against a wall. The lack of balance was starting to cause her head to hurt and made her feel a bit sick. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself and force down those problems.

John suddenly pulled the helmet from her with a lot of force. She frowned at him though realized that without the helmet everything was stable and she didn't feel like falling over. John moved to sit beside her, looking through the compartments of her helmet. She could see that one side of the helmet was burned and partially melted. They sat in silence for a moment, Kelly just watching the Master Chief pick through her helmet. He stopped, and she recognized the slight signs of frustration. "What?"

John looked to her, as though he hadn't expected her to be all right. She had been swaying pretty badly. "I'm just having trouble figuring out what's wrong with your helmet." He pulled off his own and put the two of them, bottom up, on his lap as he looked at them, comparing the two.

"You mean other than that mine is partially black with burns?" Kelly looked at the two of them and examined what inside parts looked different. "I don't see anything that looks wrong."

"Other than that yours has blood on the visor." John tilted the helmet so that Kelly could see the blood she'd coughed up that obscured her view. "Is that from before or after the wraith?" Kelly looked up to meet and saw the serious expression on his face.

Kelly looked away from him, staring at the wall across from them. "I'm fine. Still perfectly capable of fighting."

"I didn't ask you if you were able to fight. I asked if you this was from before or after the wraith." John made it clear he wasn't going to give up on this until he got an answer.

"It's from the fall," Kelly admitted. "I told you I was all right. I never said that I wasn't injured." Kelly turned her gaze back to the helmets. She took hers from John and stared into it, looking at the components.

John sighed and looked down at the helmet. "Kelly, you could be walking around with a bleeding liver and a deflated lung and you'd still think you were perfectly fine and ready to fight." His face was the same neutral as always but Kelly saw a flicker of concern in his eyes. Concern for his teammate, but also a concern that meant more than that. "You never know when enough is too much. You've always been able to be more injured then the rest of us and keep going, but it means that you don't know when things are really bad and you need medical. From now on, when you're injured, you tell me what injuries you have. I'll keep track of it and it will allow me to prevent more problems or injuries accumulating to a point where you'd be out of combat for weeks." John's voice was dead serious, but Kelly could see in his eyes that there was genuine concern. He cared about the Spartans, and he really didn't want to see her hurt like that. She told herself he felt that way about everyone.

"Fine, from now on I'll let you keep tabs on my injuries so that I don't have to." Kelly shifted her helmet and pointed at a component. "Is that supposed to be like that?" She was indicating a wire that was curled and contacting another circuit.

John looked at his own helmet and then to hers. "No, it isn't supposed to be connected there. He indicated the same wire on his helmet which stretched straight and contacted a completely different part of the wiring. "So that's the problem."

Kelly uncurled the wire and stretched it toward the correct area. "I don't think I can repair it. I need a soldering iron to keep it in place."

"Try the systems like that." John slipped on his own helmet and Kelly did the same. "How is it? Still feel unable to stand?"

Kelly stood up and looked around. "Something's still wrong, but I can keep on my feet." She couldn't put her finger on what exactly was wrong, until she looked at John. "Oh, seems that I can't get color." She shrugged, realizing that it didn't matter that much.

"It must be the color filter. I guess it was messing with some other circuit and making your systems feel like something was wrong." John moved to look her over. "Any other injuries besides your internal?"

Kelly decided to be forward with him. "I have a couple bruised ribs, and I think I have some burns on my chest from the plasma. Other than that and maybe some slight burns on the bottom of my feet from the wraith exploding, I'm good." John glanced down toward her feet and she put a hand on his chin, forcing him to look up. "Very slight burns. I can still run just fine." At least she hoped so.

John nodded. "Let's go grab the plasma pistols from those grunts. Maybe we'll also get lucky and get some plasma grenades. John moved out of the building and toward the dead enemies, Kelly right behind him.


	128. Carnival

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Carnival**

**Note: Someone requested me giving an AU scenario a try. I thought that this would work so tell me what you think. **

John was leaning against the railing outside of the carnival. He was watching the people as they walked in, not very thrilled. He was only here as a favor to Sam who was standing beside him. "Do you see them yet?"

Sam shook his head. "I haven't seen them yet." Sam was leaning against the railing beside John. "I know what my date looks like, but she didn't really tell me who it was that she was bringing with her for you."

"You owe me big for this, Sam. You know I hate blind dates." John's eyes roamed the crowd. "I prefer to find my own women, not being set up."

"Oh, it won't be that bad. She said her friend was pretty. I'm sure that if you try at it you can get lucky tonight." Sam looked down at his watch, scowling. "They're late."

John continued to look through the crowd. His gaze fell on a woman and she right away stole his attention. She had short brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and there was an angular beauty to her face. She was walking with another girl, smiling as he friend made a joke. John's eyes followed her as she moved toward the entrance. He stood from the railing and Sam looked at him. "Please tell me that's our dates?" He motioned to the woman he'd been watching and her friend.

"Nope." John felt disappointed though he continued to watch the woman. "My date doesn't have black hair. Sheila has blond hair."

John returned to leaning against the railing, rather disappointed. He could still feel his heart beating a bit faster from the initial attraction to the brown haired woman. He wondered if his date would be anything like her. He hoped she was.

"There they are." Sam raised his hand to wave at someone. "Try to be nice. I know you're not happy to be here, but I like this girl."

John looked toward the girl that Sam was pointing out. He frowned as soon as he got a look at the woman beside Sam's date. "She's a redhead. You know I hate redheads." John has a particular dislike for redheaded women. He found them unattractive, and even the woman's bright green eyes and features couldn't make up for it. "Is it too late for me to back out?"

"Just do me this favor. I promise to be your wing man when you need to go on a double date." Sam frowned at his friend, trying but failing miserably to pout enough to make John pity him.

"I don't ever go on double dates. I don't date women who don't feel comfortable alone with me." John looked toward the pair as they turned and started to head toward them. "Fine, but you really, really owe me."

"You got it." Sam grinned and moved to meet them. John followed behind him, putting on a false smile. "Hey there, Sheila. This is my friend John. John this is my date Sheila." Sam introduced them and John greeted the blond haired woman. John could see why Sam was attracted. She had long blond hair and dark brown eyes. As she smiled John could feel that it was warm and friendly, very inviting. At seventeen she was probably as developed as she was going to be, or at least should be. If she developed more than John was sure she'd end up having back issues. At least it explained Sam's initial interest in her. It also probably explained why she felt she needed a friend around.

"It's nice to meet you John. This is my friend Linda." Sheila indicated the woman beside him. She wasn't as warm as her friend. Linda just nodded a greeting, apparently as happy as John was to be there. John was sure that she was dragged with her friend on dates like this all the time.

"Well, shall we head inside? Don't think there are too many fun things to ride out here in the parking lot." Sam held out his arm to his date. She linked arms with him and he led her toward the entrance.

John felt uncomfortable left with Linda. Her stare was cold and he wasn't sure how to proceed. He didn't even want to hit on her so he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. "I want to be clear on one thing." Linda scowled at him. "I'm only here because Sheila wants me here. I have no interest in you."

"Not a problem. You're not my type anyway. Sam just likes your friend and she wouldn't date him without it being a double." John started to walk toward the entrance and Linda walked with him. "I don't know why your friend thinks she needs a double date. Sam may come on strong, to a girl that's got the things he likes but he's respectful. He knows that no means no."

"She's got the things he likes? Those things wouldn't happen to be attached to her chest, would they?" Linda's voice was cynical. This was going to be a long night at this rate.

"That's actually only one of the things he likes. For Sam a girl's got to have two of three things. Blond hair, brown eyes, or big boobs. Your friend is like the vision of perfection for him. Since she meets those qualities, now he wants the final block, a personality that doesn't annoy him constantly." John shrugged at the last part. "Though we're all guilty of looking for attractive first then going for personality."

They moved into the carnival and kept tailing Sam and Sheila. "Well, you don't have any of the markers that I look for in a guy, though at that point I think instead you start looking for friend, not boyfriend."

John shrugged. It made sense to him. For all he knew Linda might be a good friend, but he had no idea yet. "So then what is it that you look for in a guy?"

"The three bs. Black hair, blue eyes, and brown skin." Linda eyed the crowd. "I'm guessing I'm not your type either since you aren't hitting on me at all."

John shook his head. "Nope, not at all. You maybe meet one of my criteria, but I can't be sure." Linda shrugged, apparently not caring to ask more. John didn't mind. He was just fine with walking in silence with her.

They spent most of the night following Sam and Sheila around from ride to ride. Rollercoasters, carnival games, seeing some of the freak show. The highlight so far of the night was when John had gone to get them all popcorn from a food stand and had been excited to find that the woman he'd seen earlier was working there. He didn't get a chance to talk her, only give his order and then was hurried away so that the next person could pay.

John was sitting at the table with Linda, Sam and Sheila having gone off to try to find them something to drink. He stared at the stall, just hoping to get a look at her again. Linda must have noticed because she spoke up. "Why do you keep staring over there?"

John didn't look away, not wanting to miss his chance. "There's a girl working there that I find very attractive. I'm hoping to see her again." Linda looked at the stall and scowled. John sat up a bit as the woman moved out of the stall and headed toward the tables, probably on her break. "That's here." He motioned toward the woman as she sat down.

"So then go and talk to her. This might be your only chance." Linda motioned for him to go and talk to the woman. "I don't mind. I mean, we aren't interested in each other but you're interested in her."

John stood up and smiled a bit. "Thank Linda." He moved across the area and sat down at the table across from the woman. She looked up from the sandwich she'd obviously made at home and brought in. "Hey." He gave her as charming of a smile as he could.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Just say your pickup line so that I can turn you down." She obviously wasn't new to being hit on.

John did feel a bit bad about disturbing her meal so he decided he would keep things short and sweet. "My name is John. I find you attractive and would like to take you out to get to know you better." John looked at the nametag on her shirt. "Kelly."

Kelly scowled at him. "Yeah, I'm sure you said something similar to that woman you're supposed to be on a date with." Kelly motioned toward Linda.

John felt a bit of excitement. So she'd noticed him, had been watching him a bit too. Maybe he stood a chance. "She and I are just here as a favor for some friends. You know, they wanted a double date but she and I aren't interested in each other. She's not my type."

"Then what is your type?" Kelly asked.

"You are," John answered.

Kelly rolled her eyes and shook her head a bit. "That is by far the corniest thing you've said so far. You could try being honest with me."

John shook his head a bit. "I'm telling the truth. You have brown hair that's just perfect, beautiful eyes that I'm finding it hard not to stare into, and you're athletic."

Kelly suddenly frowned at him. "Oh, so you're one of those guys that only likes the thin girls." There was some anger to her voice and John winced. He didn't want to upset her.

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean you seem to enjoy working out. I mean, I can tell that you have the legs of someone who doesn't just work out to stay thin, but because you like it. I'm like that and I look for a similar quality in the women I find attractive." John leaned a bit forward on the table. "So what kind of exercising do you prefer?"

"I like to run and practice some martial arts." Kelly smiled a bit. "I'm pretty sure that I can kick your butt and can outrun you." She smirked, confident in her statement.

"I'm sure you could do either of those easily. With fair or dirty tactics. I don't know much about fighting, and I only run to keep my cardio up. Though, I'm sure I'd like running more if I had a partner." John smiled at her, enjoying her spunk.

"So them I'm guessing from your build that you're mainly into lifting weights." John noticed the way that Kelly's eyes traveled to his arm, looking it over thoroughly.

"Well, it helps me the most for grav ball. So, before I continue to try to flirt with you, do I have any actual real chance?" John glanced down toward her sandwich. "I'd hate to think I'd be wasting your dinner break.

Kelly though it over for a moment. "You've got a chance. You're attractive to me, you seem to be honest as well, and you're not making perverted comments or telling me how you want to get in my pants. Though I think we should find out if we have more in common than just exercise."

John wasn't sure how long they sat there and talked, but it was for a while. They talked about taste in books, music, movies, and games. John was surprised how much they agreed on, or were similar in liking. Sure, on some things they differed. While John preferred strategy games Kelly seemed to be a fan of skill challenges. They liked the same general kinds of music, but their favorite bands were very different.

Their conversation was only interrupted by another employee walking over. "Kelly, your break ended. You need to get back inside."

Kelly hesitated for a moment then turned to John. "Give me your phone." He did and she typed something in it before handing it back. "There, now you have my number. Give me a call some time." Kelly got up from the table and followed her coworker inside.

John got up from the table and walked back over to his original table. Sam and Sheila had returned, and Sheila didn't look to happy with him. John instead turned his attention to Linda. "I got her number. I think I'll call her up tomorrow."

"You were getting another girl's number when you were supposed to be on a date with my friend?" Sheila scowled at John but he didn't care much. He wasn't the one on a date with her.

"For the last time, I approved of it. He likes her, I don't like him, in a romantic way. You're not a bad person," Linda assured him.

"I have no problem with you either. Thanks for being understanding. Turns out she wasn't just attractive, she has a lot in common with me. She might make a nice girlfriend." John glanced back toward the stall but then turned his attention forward.

"You know, you're the only guy I know that can be on a date with one woman, get a number from a second, and have both of them be all right with it." Sam chuckled and shook his head.

"How can you approve of that kind of behavior?" Sheila frowned at Sam. "How can you approve of a man getting a date while on date?"

"Because to them it's not a date, and Linda doesn't mind. If she doesn't mind, I'm not going to worry about it." Sam shrugged. "No reason to get upset."

It grew into an argument and before John knew it Sheila was storming off, Linda in tow. "Wow, you really know how to pick winners," John joked.

"She was really moody for some reason. Honestly I'm not sad she's gone. She was sort of needy all night long." Sam shook his head. "Sorry about dragging you here."

"Not a problem. You might have inadvertently dragged me to my perfect match." John glanced toward the stall that Kelly was working at. "She likes to exercise so she can run with me, she likes sort of the same music as me, and she thinks I'm attractive."

Sam stared at his friend for a few seconds before he spoke. "You want me to head home so you can see if your little exercise friend can get some time off?" John looked at him and he must have indicated somehow that he agreed so Sam got up. "I'll see you tomorrow. Call me and tell me if you got any tail."

"She's too good a girl to sleep with on the first date," John corrected him. He waited until Sam had left before he moved over to the stall where the line had left. The night was winding down and most people were going to go see the firework display at the end of the night.

Kelly moved to the front of the stall and leaned on the counter. "What can I get you?"

John smiled at her. "You for a nice time watching the fireworks." John leaned a bit on the counter. "Do you think your boss will let you have just a tiny bit of time to watch?"

Kelly hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'll go see." She moved into the stall and John waited. He could faintly hear their conversation and couldn't help but smirk when he heard Kelly say something about him being cute. She then came back and was grinning. "She said I could go."

John moved around the back to meet her and they walked to where the people had gathered around a large lake to watch the fireworks. John found a nice rock and sat down, but it wasn't quite large enough for the both of them to sit comfortably.

John motioned toward his lap. "I promise I'll behave." Kelly hesitated before she sat down on John's lap. His arms moved around her waist to hold her in place and he put his chin on her shoulder as they sat and watched.

One by one little balls of light streaked up into the air, exploding into balls of bright colors. John watched them, glancing over at Kelly and enjoying the smile on her face. Kelly realized that he was watching her and she frowned. "What?"

John grinned a bit and hugged her a bit against him. "You know there's a festival downtown next weekend. You want to join me?"

Kelly's smile returned and she put on a mock look of thought. "Well, I don't know. What's in it for me?" She raised an eyebrow, waiting for his answer.

John looked at her, trying to decide how to reply. The words came out without him really deciding. "Anything you want."

Kelly's expression became surprised. "Anything? What if I want…" She leaned down and whispered into his ear.

John blushed a bit but nodded. "Yep, anything you want, that included." He glanced around, trying to be sure that no one else had heard her.

"All right, then you've got a deal." Kelly leaned back against him as her gaze turned back to the sky. When the show was over John walked her to her car. He felt a bit nervous as she unlocked the door. "Do you have a ride home?"

John nodded. "Yeah, my car's a few lanes down." John motioned toward where his car was. "So, do we consider this our first date?"

Kelly thought about that for a moment. "Well I suppose so. I don't know if I would have called it a full date, but if we call it a half date then we'll have to have our second date be our one and a half date." Kelly leaned back against her car. "So we'll just call this our first date. That way it's also completely acceptable for me to do this." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek. It was sort and sweet and John smiled. "Good night, John. Give me a call." She opened her car door and sat down, closing it. John stepped back and the car pulled away.

John walked to his car, rather pleased with how the night had turned out.


	129. Seven Years

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Seven Years**

**Warning: There is talk about sex. **

John watched Fred, trying to use sheer will to get the man to leave the room. It wasn't really going to happen, since you couldn't force a person to leave just by wanting them to leave, but he could try. He was just going to have to wait for Fred to leave on his own. Until then John would just continue to pretend to stare at the screen. He'd already read the report, so the words in front of them weren't anything important. It just kept Fred from wondering why he was sitting around.

John's gaze turned to the woman sitting on her cot, talking to Fred. He took a moment to simply enjoy the sight of her out of armor. They'd been in combat for seven years already and she had the scars to prove it. He could see them under the thin fabric of her shirt and running along her arms. He forced his gaze back to the screen that he was holding, keeping his mind off of the woman. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He decided that staring at the screen was hurting his eyes so he turned it off and set the datapad to the side. He didn't want to leave the room, though, so he rolled onto his side and settled onto his bed. He could get a bit of rest and he was sure that Kelly would wake him when the other man left.

It was one of the few times that John had actually dreamed. It wasn't often that he slept long enough to really reach the point where he dreamed, so it was odd that he so easily slipped to a point where he was dreaming. He was plagued by Kelly, taunting, teasing, and tempting him. He had the power to resist her when he was awake, but in his dreams there wasn't any need for such will, and he wasn't able to fight it.

John's eyes slowly opened and he found himself staring up into familiar blue. He realized that she'd crawled up onto the cot with him, lying on top of him, and somehow she'd gotten him onto his back. All of this without waking him. Or maybe that was why he'd had that dream. She smiled down at him and he returned it. "You look cute when you sleep."

John scowled at that. "I told you that I don't like being called cute. I didn't when we were young, and I don't now." John put his hands on her sides to keep her steady as he switched their positions. He knew that she was more than fast enough to stop him if she wanted to, but she allowed it.

Kelly reached up, running her hand over his arm slowly, her eyes following her hand as she touched him. "Well then how about peaceful?"

John considered it for a moment. "That is acceptable. Though I'm not sure how peaceful I actually am." He leaned down and kissed her firmly for a few seconds before he broke away. He move to fully hold himself over her and he leaned down, placing a light kiss on her neck. "How do I look now?"

Kelly pulled at his shirt and John pulled away from her as she pulled the cloth up. She tossed the fabric onto the cot beside them. Kelly's hands moved up, carefully running from his chest down to his abs. "The word sexy comes to mind."

John smirked down at her. That word he could gladly live with. He closed the space between them, engaging in a fight for dominance against her tongue. He felt her hands travel down to the waist of his pants and moved to his belt. John pulled away and frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

Kelly sighed and let her hands fall from his belt. The settled on her stomach. "You're still not ready, are you?" She sighed and John frowned.

John didn't understand why she was so unhappy. He wasn't sure when making out with him or being felt up wasn't enough for her. "I don't understand, are you not happy?"

Kelly shook her head and John waited for an explanation. "It's just that I'm ready to move to the next step and you still aren't. I would think after seven years you'd be ready, but I guess you aren't. I just want to know if you'll ever be ready."

John was a bit lost. He wasn't really sure what she was talking about. "I'm not sure what it is that you are ready for and I am not."

Kelly rolled her eyes. John knew she was sometimes frustrated with the fact that personal matters sometimes were harder for him to understand. It wasn't that he didn't exactly understand but that often the terms that she'd used would be ones that he didn't understand. In this case there was something she was referring to that he was supposed to understand without her coming right out and saying it but he was not sure what it was. "Sex, John. I'm ready to have sex and you still aren't ready for it."

John frowned, furrowing his brow. "If that is what you want then we can do that. We might have to find a place more private though as someone could walk in on us here." John started to think of places where the two of them could go to be alone.

"John, I don't want to do it just because I want to do it. I want to do it because you want to as well. I don't see the point in just physical gratification from you." Kelly sighed and tried to sit up but John didn't move and his lower body was still keeping her pinned to the cot. "I don't want sex."

John furrowed his brow and scowled, not understanding. "But you just said that you want to have sex. I am willing to move to that stage of our relationship if you're ready."

Kelly put her hand up and touched his cheek. "I want you to make love to me, John. I want you to really want to do it. I don't want you to force yourself."

John was quiet for a moment before he asked the question on his mind. "What's the difference between sex and making love?" He just didn't get what she meant.

"Sex is purely for the physical satisfaction. Making love is a show of the bond and affection that two people in love share. It's better than just sex." Kelly pulled him down and kissed him roughly for a few seconds. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't what John was used to. She took a couple breaths before she pulled him back to her, kissing him more gently as they usually did. She pulled away and stopped John from closing the space again. "The first one was sex, the second one was making love. Understand?"

John nodded, leaning down again and this time Kelly let him close the space. It was several minutes before they broke apart. John's mind went to work and he made a choice. "Wait fifteen minutes and the head to the supply bay C." John got up off of her. He grabbed his shirt and slipped it on before he left the barracks.

John stood in the supply room, counting the seconds as he waited for her to arrive. Maybe fifteen minutes was too long. He kept playing through what he expected to have happen in his mind. The door finally opened and John moved out enough to see her. She walked over toward him, not all that happy. "All right, why are we here?"

John lead her back to where he had set up a number of blankets to make a flat surface, sort of a makeshift bed for them. It was hidden behind a group of stacked up crates to keep it out of the view of people who might enter. "I thought we needed more privacy. I didn't want to be interrupted."

Kelly stared at what he'd put together. "I told you I didn't want to force you into this." She turned toward him and put her arms lightly around his neck. "Are you doing this willingly?"

John pulled her to him, lips meeting in a passionate kiss. When they finally broke apart John's hands moved over her sides. "I assure you, Kelly, that I am very willing." Kelly smiled at him and they once more kissed, John leading them toward his makeshift bed.


	130. Uncle Arby

Uncle Arby

The door bell rung and it echoed through the house. There was a thump at the top of the stairs as Sam was knocked down by his sister. Catherine took the steps two at a time but had to skid to a halt at the bottom of the stairs to keep from running into her brother.

Jacob looked back at his sister who looked rather annoyed. He pulled the door open and looked at the alien on the other side. "Greetings, Uncle." Jacob moved out of the way so that the Arbiter could come inside. "I can get my father for you."

The Arbiter shook his head. "I am not here for your parents; I'm here for you and your siblings." He looked down at the twelve-year-old boy. "I want to take you, your brothers, and your sister for a bit of fun."

"Sam, Avery, get your butts down here!" Catherine moved over to hug the Arbiter. The nine-year-old's arms couldn't even go fully around the elite's waist. "Hi, Uncle Arby."

The Arbiter reached down and picked up the little girl. "Hello there, little warrior. How are you today?" He looked over as Avery and Sam came down the stairs. Right behind them was John, who nodded to his friend. The Arbiter returned the nod.

"What are we going to do today?" Sam asked, glancing back at his father.

"Well, there's a warthog outside waiting for you all to take you somewhere. I won't tell you were, since that will ruin the surprise." The Arbiter set down the girl in his arms. Jacob opened the door and all four of the kids headed outside to the waiting warthog. The Arbiter turned to John as he stepped forward. "I hope that you and your wife enjoy your day."

"Thanks again for doing this. We haven't had a lot of time to ourselves since we've had the kids. It's nice to get a bit of time alone." John moved to stand beside his friend and looked out, spotting the elite that was already sitting in the driver's seat. "Who's that?"

The Arbiter looked in the same direction. "Oh, that is my daughter. In my people the children do not know their fathers. I have decided to try it a bit different with my child."

"I thought in your culture an elite of your stature would have many children." John had learned as much as he could about the still hard to understand elite culture.

The Arbiter shook his head. "Many of my sons have perished in the war, and my daughter was the last child that my wife gave me." There was a sad tone to his voice. "She is the only child I have left, and I see no reason why I cannot try to raise her as a human would." He nodded to John and moved off before John could ask any more questions. The subject of his family was something that John had learned long ago not to question. The Arbiter barely ever spoke of his family, and what he'd just admitted was more than John had ever known.

The Arbiter moved to the jeep and took his spot in the passenger's seat. The gun that had been mounted in the back had been removed and replaced with a metal frame and seats that allowed it to be used for troop transport. The children all sat in the back, though Catherine was leaning toward the front, asking a lot of questions all at once.

The Arbiter looked to his daughter who was staring at the young girl, confused. "Catherine." The nine-year-old stopped and turned to him. "My daughter does not know your language. She cannot understand what it is that you are asking."

"Oh." Catherine looked crestfallen. "I just wanted to know more about female soldiers in your culture. I'd never met one before."

"She's your daughter?" Jacob leaned forward a bit to look at the female Sangehili. It wasn't hard to tell she was female as she was a lot slimmer then the males. While the males looked of power she looked sleeker. Her body was smaller than the Arbiter's. Her neck was thinner and her armor was an elegant blue color. "I didn't know you had a daughter."

"I used to have three daughters. She is the only one still alive." The Arbiter turned to his daughter and switched over to speaking their own language. "_Go ahead and drive. Our conversation is not one that we need to be stationary for. Though the young female is interested in you." _His daughter looked back at Catherine and then to her father, still confused. "_She is interested in a female soldier of our species. I told you that humans would treat you very out of place." _

His daughter shifted the car into gear. "_The people of our own planet treat me odd, fath_er. _I would expect no different from humans. After all the high council had banned us from fighting in the ground war._" The Arbiter could hear the annoyance in his daughter's voice.

"_That is a good thing, my daughter. You have never spilled human blood. They may hate you less."_ The Arbiter wasn't really sure if he believed that.

His daughter started to drive along the dirt roads of the base. "_There are those of our species that would hate these children for simply existing, just as there are those of their species that will hate me for simply existing._" She turned toward the building that was their destination.

"What are you guys talking about?" Catherine looked between the two aliens, smiling as she waited for an answer.

"Catherine, leave them alone. If they wanted us to know then Uncle would have told us." Jacob frowned at his sister and she simply rolled her eyes at him.

The warthog came to a stop and Catherine looked around. "Where are we?" There was the sound of gunshots and she perked up. "Is this the firing range?"

The Arbiter climbed out and so did his daughter. "Yes, this is the target range. I thought that I'd give you all a chance to learn a bit of what your parents had learned by your age." The children all filed out and followed him as they walked toward the range. He stopped and made all of the children grab some ear protection.

The group moved to the line of tables on one side of the range. There were a few soldiers already there. One ODST and two marines. "Now, who would like to go first?" Catherine put her hand up and the Arbiter nodded to her. "All right, then you can go first." He looked to his daughter. "_Go and retrieve her one of the human pistols while I give some basic tips._" His daughter nodded and moved over to the table of weapons.

The Arbiter turned back to the little girl. "All right, you'll want to wear your ear protection when you are shooting so that you don't hurt your hearing. Keep a firm grip and stance when you are shooting. I will show you how to aim and hit the target." The Arbiter stopped when he realized that the other soldiers were talking. He looked back to see that two of the marines were standing behind his daughter. She was ignoring them, trying to find the right magazine for the pistol.

"Hey, split-lip, I told you that you aren't welcome here." The first marine scowled at the female elite. The Arbiter tensed as the man took a step toward his daughter. It wasn't just that he worried what they would do to her, but also what reaction she would have if they took an aggressive action toward her. In their culture you didn't make violent actions to just threaten, you did it when you wanted a fight.

The man put a hand on the elite's shoulder and she looked back at him, as though just noticing that he was there. "I told you, go home." He moved up closer and she just looked at him, not understanding. Her hand gently moved to his chest and pushed him a bit back, not comfortable with how close he was to her.

The marine smacked her and away and she growled. There wasn't time to stop it from happening. His daughter grabbed the man's shirt and lifted him up off of the ground. The second man grabbed her arm with one hand and tried to hit her. She knocked him to the side easily and he got back to his feet. The man came charging toward her and rather than let him attack again she spun around. In one motion her foot struck out, sending the first man flying then tossed the second over the tables. He landed in the target range.

She still stood at the ready when the Arbiter spoke. "_Daughter, enough._" She relaxed a bit and looked toward him. He looked at the two soldiers and realized that one was unconscious and the second was groaning on the ground.

"Hey!" The Arbiter looked down the line to the ODST who was glaring at them. "If you're going to throw him don't throw him onto the field. That's a safety violation." The ODST moved out onto the field and dragged the groaning marine back behind the tables. "Can't shot if there are people out in the line of fire."

"She does not understand you." The Arbiter motioned to his daughter who was just looking at them all, obviously still not understanding.

The ODST rolled his eyes. "_Don't throw into line of fire. Safety hazard. Throw into wall instead._" The ODST moved back to his own table and put his hearing protection back into place before he returned to his practice.

The Arbiter was surprised. Not many humans, let alone soldiers, knew much of their language. The accent had been awful and his sentences hadn't really been complete, but it was the best he'd heard from an ODST. She looked over as she realized that Catherine was staring up at her. The little girl turned to the Arbiter. "Can you tell her that she's my new hero?"

The Arbiter chuckled and turned to his daughter. "_She says that you are now her hero._" He motioned toward the tables that a person was to stand behind while shooting. "_Why don't you show her your skill with a weapon?_" His daughter nodded and moved to the table.

After the female elite had shown how to use the weapon the children all took a turn. Catherine's joy of shooting wasn't a surprise. Sam seemed to enjoy himself but the Arbiter could see it in him that he didn't seem to really take to it. Avery went third and there was something odd about the way he shot. He wasn't paying as much attention to his aim but seemed to focus fully on how it felt to fire the gun. The surprising one was Jacob. He was stiff when he started shooting, but as soon as he fired there was a familiar spark in his eyes. The same sort of thing that the Arbiter had seen in plenty of young elite soldiers who were in combat for the first time.

Once they'd all fired the pistol the Arbiter decided to move them on to a DMR. The results were almost the same as with the pistol, though Avery spent a bit of time just staring and examining the weapon before he fired. After that the Arbiter gave them a sniper rifle. The weapon was huge in Catherine's hands. The gun recoiled enough when it fired that the little girl was sent flying back onto the ground. The Arbiter moved to help her up but was glad to find that she was laughing happily. The gun knocked Sam and Avery on their rears but Jacob had learned from his siblings and braced himself, staying on his feet.

When they finished the group headed to the mess hall for an early dinner. They were stared at as they ate, though the image of four kids and two elites eating was a bit odd. Unfortunately there wasn't any food that the aliens could actually eat so the Arbiter spent most of his time just talking to the children while his daughter sat in silence. Every once in a while Catherine would try to ask a question and the Arbiter would have to translate so his daughter could answer.

When they finished up the Arbiter took the children back to their home. He moved out of the warthog and the children all went running for their home. The Arbiter moved toward the door but stopped as he realized that his daughter wasn't following. He watched her, sitting in the passenger's seat, just waiting. He thought of forcing her to come into the house with her, but decided that forcing her to do something she didn't want to might be counterproductive.

When the Arbiter reached the house Kelly was frowning at him. "Is there something wrong?" He glanced toward John who was listening to his children telling him what they did that day.

"You took them to a firing range." The Arbiter looked back to Kelly, confused as to how that was a problem. "That was really dangerous. Catherine says you got in a fight."

"A couple soldiers were harassing my daughter. She took action to defend herself." The Arbiter wasn't going to just stand by. He would happily defend his daughter protecting herself. "She did nothing wrong, and your daughter approved."

"Yeah, I'm aware. She now wants to change her species." Kelly shook her head. "I swear, every time I send her out with you it seems like you get in trouble." She sighed and watched her children as they explained to their father what it felt like for them to shoot. "Well, at least they had a good time. Thank you, Arbiter."

"I hope that you enjoyed your day away from them. I hope that I kept them away long enough for you and John to mate." The Arbiter tilted his head to the side as a slight red color appeared on Kelly's cheeks. "Are you all right?"

The kids ran past them and up the stairs. John moved over to the other two. He looked between them. "What?" He looked to Kelly for an explanation.

"I do not understand. I only asked if I gave you enough time to mate and your wife's face as changed color." The Arbiter had been trying to learn more about humans, but still their behavior confused him.

John didn't react the same to the question. He moved over to Kelly and put an arm around her shoulder. "You gave us plenty of time. Thank you, Arbiter."

The Arbiter nodded. "Any time my friend." With that he said his goodbyes and moved back out to the warthog. He sat down in the driver's seat and looked at his daughter. "_So what did you think of your first time around human young?_"

His daughter looked at him for a moment before she replied. "_Humans are weird._" The Arbiter chuckled at the answer. He turned on the warthog and took off down the roads.


	131. Permission

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Permission**

John stared at the man on the other side of the doorway. He didn't invite him in, not yet. They'd already been standing there for several minutes. John was sort of trying to avoid letting him in. He knew why he was here, and although he had approved before, he was still a bit reluctant to give final approval.

The young man seemed to have had enough with just standing around. "Sir, although I'd be more than happy to stand here and have a silent contest with you, I don't really have the time. I have afternoon drills with my squad, so my time is limited. If you are not going to listen to my question, I would appreciate you telling me now."

John sighed and moved out of the way, motioning for him to come in. John led the young man to the living room and sat down on the couch. He motioned to the chair to the side of the couch and the man sat. "All right, ask your question."

Leonard sat up straight and his voice was firm and confident. "Sir, I would like permission to marry Catherine. I love your daughter and I want her to be my wife."

John remained silent for a few seconds, letting the question just hang there. "Why did you choose now to want to marry my daughter?"

Leonard looked at him, a bit confused. "Sir, I've wanted to marry her for some time. I was raised a bit traditional though, so I believe that the father should be asked permission to marry his daughter. I didn't know you until this year. I have waited until this part of the year because he have a long enough say to be able to properly set up a memorable proposal, and some planning time for a wedding. Depending on how soon or what she wants in a wedding, we might even have time for that."

John nodded, understanding his point. "As I said before, I respect that you are asking my permission. Are you ready to assume the full responsibility? Take care of her when she's sick, taking care of a child if you impregnate her?"

"Sir, I already take care of her when she's sick or injured, and..." Leonard sat up a bit taller, as though gathering his courage to say the next part. "I plan on impregnating your daughter. I wish to start a family with her."

John sighed and shook his head. "You could have just said that starting a family was a part of the plan. I don't want to ever hear you say anything to me again about impregnating my daughter. I don't want the thought of you even touching my little girl in my head, understood?"

Leonard nodded. "Yes, sir. I understand. It won't happen again." Leonard relaxed a bit. "So then, sir, do I have your permission?"

John hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to admit that it was hard to be handing over his daughter to this man. Sure he seemed like a good man, and he was sure that he would treat his daughter well since she seemed happy and they'd been dating for so long, but he was still reluctant. "Very well, I give you permission to marry my daughter. I advise you, though, to never forget an anniversary. I forgot one once, nearly ruined everything with Catherine's mother. Luckily, I proposed the next day."

"So you proposed to your wife because you forgot an anniversary?" Leonard frowned, and John shook his head. "Then what happened?"

John frowned a bit before he started into the explanation. "At the time I had an AI, Cortana, who had gone rampant. She more forgot that she wasn't human. She had assigned me for a weapon's testing that day, and refused to budge. She sort of cheated to get me to do what she wanted. I had wanted to propose to her on our anniversary, but instead I had to do it the next day. She was really mad at me. I mean, Fred had to trick her into coming to meet me in the field and she hadn't fully forgiven me until I proposed."

Leonard nodded. "I will have to always remember our anniversaries. So far I'm not doing that bad, I mean I even remembered the anniversary of our first date when we were on that mind numbing job aboard a frigate."

"See that you don't. If you upset my daughter, I will do unholy things to you. I won't kill you, that will be her decision, but I can make your waking life a world of pain."

Leonard nodded. "Well, good luck getting to me first. If the Sergeant doesn't tear out my spleen first you can have that. Oh, Charton has dibs on my eyes, and Willtin has already laid claim on my liver. Though, I must warn you that Kat has put my testicles off limits. As she said, if she decides she wants me to live, then I wouldn't be able to give her children and she'd be unhappy."

John smiled a bit, relaxing on the couch. "Well, although she got her mother's spirit, she did get the Spartan's skill with logic. You can't fight that truth. Fine, your testicles are safe from me." John paused for a moment. "Do you have a ring for her?"

Leonard looked around and then fished a little box out of his pocket. He held it out to John and the Master Chief took it. "I had her sort of pick it out. I thought that she'd recognize it and realize that I've wanted to marry her the whole time."

John opened the box and inside was a ring, in the center of it a black stone he knew was onyx. Along the ban of the ring were smaller red, orange and yellow stones that went part of the way down the ring. "She picked this out?"

"Yeah, I tried to point out more traditional rings, but she really liked that one. And, after we've gotten married she can still wear that if she wants, even hand it down as a gift to our kid to either ware or give to a girlfriend or boyfriend," Leonard explained.

"Don't think it would fit a man's hand," John pointed out. "Though I get your point." John nodded, pleased. "You'll make an acceptable husband for her."

"Thank you, sir. I know that's about as good as it's going to get." Leonard stood from his seat. "Well, I need to get to drills." He stood at attention and saluted.

John stood as well and saluted back. "Good luck in drills." John followed him as he left the house, smiling as Kelly passed Leonard, giving him a quick greeting before carrying her work bag and a few groceries inside. "How was your day?" He placed a quick kiss on her cheek as they moved into the kitchen.

Kelly set the bag of groceries on the counter and moved over to the table to set her bag down. As she did John moved to the food and started to put it away. "It was all right. Nothing exciting today. Why was Leonard here?"

John opened the refrigerator and set a few items inside. "He was just asking permission to become our son-in-law." John shut the door and moved back over to the bag.

"Good, I like that man." Kelly moved over and snatched several of the items and moved to the pantry. "Hopefully he doesn't screw up like you did right before he proposes. Though you did come up with a rather sweet way of popping the question. Reminded me of where it all started, of when I started on a path that would lead me to falling for you."

"Is that all you thought the bell meant?" Kelly looked at John, confused by his words. "The bell was also supposed to represent the lesson we learned on that first day. That teamwork is what makes things work, that it is what keeps us safe and happy. I also chose it because it was supposed to symbolize that I was taking you forever as my chosen teammate." John moved over to her. "See, I can be deep."

"You know, that was a really touching moment until that last part." Kelly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Though I won't forget the sweet part of it tonight." John grinned and Kelly moved away to start making dinner.


	132. Sexy Face

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Sexy face**

John watched as Kelly moved into the gym. She moved over to the speed bag and John stopped mid exercise to watch her. It had been almost a year since they'd been out of their armor, and John wasn't sure when they'd get the chance to be out of it again. John let the weights on his machine fall and gave Kelly is full attention.

Kelly started to exercise and John watched her body as she moved. Each motion was precise and elegant. John couldn't help the smirk on his face as he stood up, walking across the gym. Kelly was too focused and didn't notice him. He was familiar with the routine she was doing so he knew the perfect chance. John moved forward, wrapping her arms around her.

Kelly made a move to attack him but stopped when she realized who it was. "What, didn't like the show?" John kissed her neck and Kelly smirked. John smirked back at her. "Oh, someone has on their sexy face."

John kissed her shoulder and frowned a bit. "What, are you saying that my face isn't always sexy?" His hand around her waist slipped up under her shirt.

"Of course you are always sexy. Though you don't always look like at any second you want to find a remote space with no one in it and do some things that, if we were caught, would get us in a ton of trouble." Kelly moved her hand back to his neck, holding his head to her. "There's a difference between you being sexy and your sexy face."

John looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "And what is the difference between my normal face and my sexy face?" John loosened his grip a bit and allowed Kelly to turn around in his arms.

"Your sexy face is more…well let's just say that I better be the only person who sees it." Kelly's hand moved up to his neck as his own hands traveled down her back to her rear. Kelly laughed and grinned. "It has been a while since we've been able to spend any time together."

"We haven't been able to spend much time together. There just hasn't been time." John leaned down and kissed her jaw. "I'm glad to feel your skin again." His hand moved up and under her shirt, just touching the skin of her lower back. "I think we should use this time properly."

Kelly giggled and John leaned back to nip at her ear. "It must have been a long time. You're not usually this frisky when we're somewhere we might be found."

John frowned and pulled away a bit. "Do you not like me being forward? I can back off if you'd like. You just told me last time that you liked when I come on to you."

Kelly laughed and shook her head. "John, I'm not complaining. I do like it. I'm just teasing you. I don't have anything against you feeling me up in a sort of public space."

John frowned a bit. "I'm not really getting the teasing thing, am I?" Kelly shook her head. "I really am trying, I just can't tell when it's a tease and not you being honest."

"It doesn't really matter. What matters is that we find a nice empty space where no one will find us so that we can have our alone time." Kelly smirked up at him and her nails lightly dug into the back of his neck as she pushed her body against his.

The smirk returned to John's face. "Now that's a signal that I can easily understand. I think the lockers should be empty for a while, and it would give us an excuse if anyone found us."

"Yeah, because we did such a great job hiding what we were doing the last time that we were caught." Kelly laughed and slipped out of John's arms, much to his displeasure. She moved off toward the lockers. Kelly made a sound, as though calling a dog and snapped her fingers. "Come on, boy."

"I am not a dog." John moved to follow her toward the lockers.

"Then why did you come when I called you like one?" Kelly smirked back at him. John kept his mouth shut. He wasn't sure if she was teasing or not, but he decided to assume it was teasing unless she said otherwise.


	133. Last Moments

**Pairing: Sort of Sam/Kelly, sort of John/Kelly**

**Title: Last moments**

Sam watched them leave. He watched as John pulled Kelly down the passage way, away from him. He hated that they were leaving him, but he knew that they had to. If they stay they would die with him. As much as he didn't want them to go, he didn't want them to die just as much.

Sam turned around, facing the oncoming barks of the aliens. He readied his rifle and raised it. He would give them one hell of a fight. He did another check of the mission counter, watching as the seconds ticked down to his death. He wondered if he'd given John and Kelly enough time to get away. No, he couldn't wonder about that. He had to focus on keeping them from even heading the same way his friends had gone.

The first of the five-foot-tall aliens moved around the corner and Sam opened fire. The bullets easily tore through the creature's body and the breathing mask on its face. It crumpled to the ground and Sam heard the terrified cries of what sounded like two more of the same species of aliens.

Sam eased forward, making his way around the corner. He wasn't really expecting what he found. The two aliens were huddled in fear, hands over their heads in terror, afraid of death. Sam just walked up behind them, looking at the aliens. He was sure that Doctor Halsey would give her left arm for the footage he was getting right now. He was up close and personal with living specimens of their enemy. Sam brought his gun down on the back of the first grunt's head. The sound of bone shattering and brain being made into mush startled the second and it jumped up. With ease Sam slammed his gun into the second creature's head, causing it to slam into the wall and fall to the ground. Well, they weren't living any more.

Sam moved the dead bodies so that they were a line in the passage way. There weren't enough of them to really cover the floor, but it would be hard to pass them with ease. Sam then moved back behind the corner, knowing that at least seeing the bodies should cause his enemies to make some sort of noise.

Sam sat down, gun still in his hand. He wondered if John and Kelly had made it out yet. The time on his counter was ticking down. At this point, even if something arrived to attack him, it wouldn't be able to get to his friends, so he relaxed and accepted that this was the end.

"You know, these guys aren't all that tough." Sam checked his COMM and saw that it was off. Good, he didn't really want to taunt his friends with his voice when they needed to run. "It's really just their ships that can really give us trouble. I mean bullets tore through everything we found, and their skulls aren't really all that strong." Sam looked down to the blood that still coated his gun. "Well, I guess the only thing left is the end."

Sam reached up and pulled off his helmet. He set his gun to the side and looked down to his helmet, frowning at the blood that dotted the inside of the visor. "You know, I was really looking forward to finding out exactly what this armor could do." Sam slipped the helmet back on and noticed the time. "Well, guess this is my end. You've got more bad guy butt to kick in the future." Sam could hear the roars of something around the corner but at this point he didn't care. He had less than a minute left before the bomb went off.

Sam realized that the sound of whatever was approaching was something different from anything he'd heard so far. The voice was low and more like a growl as two of whatever they were spoke to each other. Sam gripped his gun, ready to fight whatever might come. "Well, it was a fun run while it lasted, John. You were always my best friend, and I was proud to serve you." He hung his head a bit. "I never told you, was never straight with you. I'm sorry I never told you that I loved Kelly too. I shouldn't have ever kept something like that hidden from you." He felt bad about it, and always had. He'd spoken badly of relationships between teammates with John, tried to indirectly convince him that what he was doing with Kelly was wrong or bad. He had always know it was because seeing John with Kelly made him jealous.

"You better take good care of her." Sam got to his feet and saw the clock tick down to thirty seconds left. "Make sure she survives all of this. Give humanity a future." Sam smiled a bit behind his visor. "I'm jealous again. Cause you have so much more time in this word, time to fight and time to be with her." Sam moved to the corner, gripping his gun tight. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you so soon in this fight, but I know you'll be all right." Sam smiled a bit as he saw something move closer on his motion tracker. "You know you really were the lucky one. You survived this encounter, you got the girl, and I'm sure one day humanity will look to you as a beacon of hope. Just make sure you don't ever run out of that luck."

The red dot moved to the corner and Sam moved around it, striking out. His gun hit the elite's neck and he looked up at it. His time ticked down to ten seconds as he and the seven-foot-tall alien stared at each other. With one great swing the elite sent Sam flying back. He hit the ground and looked up at the alien as it moved over to stand, one foot on Sam's chest. Now he really wished he could send his information to Doctor Halsey. This alien was the picture of leadership, and probably what they were really fighting. The strength it had used in such a small strike against him was what Sam had actually expected for one of these Covenant aliens. The creature snapped some sort of weapon to life and Sam watched the sword of light crackle in the creature's hands.

"Wow, nice light show. Too bad it won't save you." Sam smiled as the counter reached zero and suddenly everything became nothing but light and the ship was engulfed in an all-consuming fire.


	134. Wedding March

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Catherine/Leonard**

**Title: Wedding March**

John stood outside of the tent. He felt uncomfortable in the new tux that he had custom made to fit him. He still wasn't sure if it was quite to his liking, but he'd sort of ruined his old one on one of his anniversaries with Kelly so this one had been a bit of a rush job. He was pretty sure they had made it too tight in the chest.

The flap to the tent moved out of the way and John turned to the woman that walked out. He looked her over smiling. "You look gorgeous, Kat." His daughter smiled and John held his hand out to her.

Kat took it and took a deep breath. "I think I'm getting nervous." Kat gripped his hand a bit. "Is that normal?"

John chuckled at the question. "Well I was nervous before I married your mother. It's completely normal to be nervous." John pulled her into a hug and Kat hugged him back. He released her and looked down at her. "Everything is going to be fine." He leaned down and placed a light kiss on his daughter's forehead before he pulled the vale down over her face. "Now come on, I think they are waiting for us."

John held his arm out for her and she locked her arm with his. He led her toward the group of people. They stopped at the end of the aisle, looking down it at the gathered people at the end. John patted her arm and Kat smiled at him. John took a step forward first, forcing her to move down the aisle.

They marched steadily down the aisle toward the end of it. John could see Leonard standing before the official, standing in his tux, all cleaned up and looking as proper as he could, though John could see the signs that he was nervous.

John led Catherine all the way to the end and stopped. He released her arm and he turned to her. He folded the vale back and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I love you, Catherine. Now get up there and don't let your nerves get the better of you."

Catherine smiled at him and John moved her toward Leonard. The marine held his hand out and Catherine took it letting him lead her to standing across from him. John moved to take his seat, Kelly's hand moving to his, holding it tightly. John looked to her and Kelly leaned against his shoulder, watching their daughter as the ceremony began.

John leaned a bit toward his wife and whispered. "This brings up good memories." He could still remember standing across from her, unable to focus on the words of the official as they were wed. He squeezed her hand lightly.

Kelly returned the squeeze. "Hard to think that that was four kids and a few decades ago." She shook her head slightly. "Hard to think that our little girl's all grown up and getting a husband of her own. How soon until we're grandparents?"

John smirked at the question. "Too long. Should have happened at least two decades before it will." John smiled as he watched Leonard slip the ring onto his daughter's finger.

Kelly smiled at him and moved his hand from hers so that she could wrap her arm around his. She knew that they both felt like they should have been able to start their family back when they were younger. That they should have had more time. Catherine started to say her lines and Kelly hugged his arm a bit tighter.

Catherine finished her part and slipped the ring on Leonard's finger. The official said a few more things and the two kissed. They moved down the aisle and John turned to Kelly. He stood up and helped her stand up so that they could go to the reception. "You want to take bets on who's going to be the next one to get married?"

Kelly shook her head. "I usually would assume Avery as he's the only one actually dating someone, but since Kat was keeping Leonard a secret, so who knows who our boys are dating."

John led her to where all the other guests were heading. "Seems logical then to not make bets." John looked over at her and then turned his gaze forward. "So how much was that dress? I've never seen it before."

Kelly smirked at him. "It was actually rather cheap. I didn't have it custom made so it is a bit short for me and a bit tight in the chest and waist, but it wasn't all that expensive."

John chuckled to her. "Well that's good, cause you know how I feel about backless." John's hand moved to the small of her back, being sure to keep his gaze forward.

"I think I'm with Kathleen. You men are one minded." Kelly shook his head. "We still have dinner and we need to be sure to pressure Avery on proposing to Rosa."

John shook his head. "I'm sure there will be plenty of time to talk to Rosa and hint to Avery that he should pick up his feet and marry her." He rolled his eyes. He'd admitted he was never going to convince her to let it all go. "We'll also get to see if Sam and Jacob brought anyone."

Kelly grinned. "Sounds like a proper reception. Come on; let's go make our kids very uncomfortable." She laughed a bit as they moved on to the reception.


	135. Talk Dirty

**Pairing: John/Kelly  
**

**Title: Talk Dirty**

Kelly frowned at Linda. She'd gotten used to the other woman's teasing so she didn't really let it bother her any more. She didn't really care what sort of innuendos Linda made about her and John, she remained stern in her denial of it all. Good thing Linda had no way of knowing how right she was.

Kelly watched as Linda left the gym allowing her to focus fully on her workout. She turned her attention back to the speed back that she was using. It was difficult as the speed of the bag meant she had to slow herself in order to use it properly. Sometimes she wished the world could just be as fast as she was.

She froze and turned around when she felt a presence. She was surprised to find John standing behind her. He was standing a bit stiffer than usual and she could only identify it as nervous, which was something that always seemed odd for John. "I'd like to smack that."

Kelly glanced back to the speed bag and then moved out of the way. "Sure, though that's not how this equipment is supposed to be properly used."

John shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean." Kelly raised an eyebrow as a slight tint of red appeared on his cheek. Most people wouldn't notice it but with her better vision and knowing John well enough it was like he'd turned beet red to her.

"Well then what do you mean?" Kelly crossed her arms, sort of enjoying the way John was nervous. It was fun to see something he was embarrassed about. Not to mention whatever it was he didn't have his normal confidence, it usually meant he wasn't super great at it. There were very few things he wasn't skilled at and it was nice seeing that even the great Master Chief wasn't perfect.

John took a deep breath and spoke again. "I'd like to go motor boating." Kelly frowned, not understanding what he meant. "I'd like to…" John glanced down at his hand and then back up to Kelly. "I'd like to grope your…fun bags." Kelly frowned getting the picture now. John didn't notice as he continued, continuing to check his hand. "I'd like to…tap that…until you can't walk straight." He looked down at his hand and his blush deepened. "I'd…I'd like to..." He was now staring at the ground, very uncomfortable.

"John, you can stop." Kelly smiled softly and John looked rather defeated. "I get what you're point was, although not quite delivered properly."

"I'm not any good at this." John's shoulders slumped as he spoke. "I did try, I just don't know how comfortable I really feel about doing this."

"Well you did a few things wrong. First, you did it in a rather public place. It's better if you do it in a private place. Second, you used slang. And I don't mean like the normal dirty slang, I mean like the slang that teenagers and frat boys use. That's not sexy. The only other thing you did wrong was the delivery." Kelly moved a bit closer to him, hands moving over his shoulders slowly. Her lips touched his and he wrapped his arms around her as they kissed. She pulled away from his mouth but still held herself close. "I love the way you taste," she purred to him.

John moved his mouth down to Kelly's neck and his hands started to explore more of her body. Kelly's hand moved up to her hair and starched a bit at his scalp. They continued these actions for a while, until Kelly pushed him a bit away. John looked at her surprised, but waiting. He'd learned that if he was patient Kelly would always explain things.

"I found an officer's quarters that are vacant that we can use. Room Bravo-5. Wait five minutes. That will give me enough time to break in. Then I can give you a proper lesson in talking dirty." Kelly smirked and turned around and sauntered out of the room.


	136. Peace

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Peace**

John looked around at the grand ballroom. It looked like something from a large mansion, though John couldn't really place where. He didn't know how he'd gotten there, and when he tried to think of what had happened he couldn't remember. He could remember being on the Covenant ship, going out to fix the damage, the plasma racing toward them. He didn't know what happened after that.

John heard heels clicking on the smooth stone floor and he turned around to find Kelly walking toward him. His mouth fell open a little as he looked at her. She was wearing a long dark blue strapless dress. There was a long slid down the side of the dress and he caught glimpses of her long legs as she moved. An ornate sapphire necklace hung around her neck and he could see the shine of diamond earrings as she neared. He looked down to her feet and was surprised by the high heels that she wore. They weren't too tall, only about two inches in height, but he'd never seen her in heels.

Kelly moved over to him and John held out his hand to her. He looked down to realize that he was in his dress uniform. They must be at some sort of party or something. John couldn't seem to fill the holes. Kelly's hand touched his and he leaned forward, placing a light kiss on the back of her hand.

Kelly smiled at him as he stood back up. "Sure, you get to wear your uniform, I have to wear this stupid dress thing. I can't believe you have me wearing heels." Kelly rolled her eyes but took a step closer to John.

"You look beautiful, Kelly. I thank you for dressing that way for me." John's hand moved to her waist, holding out his other arm to his side. Her hand moved to his shoulder and he smiled at her. "Do you mind if I have this dance?"

Kelly smiled softly at him. "Lead the way, Master Chief." John started to move and she followed his lead. They made lazy circles around the ballroom, swaying to music that seemed to come from nowhere. It was calm and peaceful, just the two of them alone in the open space. "What is it about you that makes me feel so at peace?"

"I didn't know you could be at peace," Kelly joked. "I don't know John, really. I can't speak for you. I can only speak for myself."

John slowed their steps and moved both of his hands to her waist. Kelly rest her head on his shoulder as her arms moved around his neck. "All I know is, when I have you I can be peaceful." John stopped their movements and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Kelly."

Kelly sighed and John felt her slump a bit in his grip. "If only you could tell me that when we're awake." John frowned not understanding.

John's eyes opened and he found himself lying in the medical bay of the captured Covenant ship on its way to try to get away from Reach and find a way home.


	137. Skinny Dipping

**Pairing: Fred/Kathleen, John/Kelly**

**Title: Skinny Dipping**

The moons hung high in the starry sky, casting soft light over the surface of Reach. The calm night air was filled with the buzz of insects and the absent calls of wandering Moa looking for lost friends. The waters of the lake were still, rippling only as the breeze rushed through the open space. It was in this peaceful scene that seven thirteen-year-old trainees stood at the edge of the water.

"I don't see the point of this. I mean, we go swimming often enough. What's so special about this?" John stared down at his reflection in the water. "What's the point or risking being caught?"

"It's not just the thrill of possibly being caught." Kelly grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up over her head, letting it fall to the ground. "Now off with it." She grabbed John's shirt and quickly pulled it over his head before he could stop her. "Grab him."

John tried to get away from her but Sam grabbed him, locking John's arms to his side. "Sorry buddy, but right now it's more fun to follow Kelly's orders."

Kelly's hands went to work on John's belt, undoing it. John tried to struggle against them but was failing. "Let me go." Kelly pulled off his pants and his boxers in one quick motion and then Sam let him go. "If this is a joke or prank, it isn't amusing."

"It's not a joke." Sam pulled his shirt off and motioned to Linda, Will, and Fred who were also all getting undressed. "It's called skinny dipping."

John didn't seem at all comfortable standing outside, naked, while everyone else was getting undressed. John decided to focus fully on Kelly as she stripped and tossed the last of her things into a pile. She grabbed John's wrist and pulled him forward. When she got near the edge she stopped and spun, flinging John forward. He fell under the water and came back up a moment later. There was a splash beside him and Kelly broke the surface, running a hand over her hair.

"Why did you do that?" John frowned at her and Sam hit the water beside him. John shook his head a bit to get some of the water off of him. "So what is the point to this?"

Kelly's arms wrapped around John's neck from behind and he blushed as her body touched his. "It's to have fun. The fun of swimming, the excitement of possibly being caught, mixed with the thrill of nudity. What more could you ask for?"

"How about a puppy? A puppy would be nice." Will grinned as he started to doggy paddle. "At least that's what I would ask for."

"A puppy does sound nice." Kelly pouted at John. "Would you be a puppy for me?" Kelly moved her arms so she could scratch behind his ear. "I'll be sure to pet you and rub your belly." John blushed as her hand moved under the water and rubbed his stomach.

"You don't want him as a puppy. He'd be like a German shepherd. I'll be a golden lab." Sam grabbed Kelly around the neck from behind and the weight pulled her down under the water. Kelly suddenly resurfaced and Sam came up a bit away from her. "Oh, it wasn't that awful."

"That wasn't cool, Sam." Kelly moved over to John and grabbed his arm, wrapping her arms around it. "I think I'll stay with my German Shepherd. He wouldn't try to hump me while he's drowning me." John frowned, looking at her confused.

"No, I can't see John trying to drown you." Will chuckled and moved over toward Linda. "You wanna' play chicken. I can be your base, John can be Kelly's, and Fred can be Kathleen's."

Fred looked around at the group and frowned. "Where is Kathleen?" He looked toward the shore and spotted her sitting a distance away from the lake, back to the other trainees. "Why isn't she joining us?"

"I'll go find out." Kelly climbed out of the water and jogged over to Kathleen and crouched beside her. Kathleen started to talk to Kelly, though they were too far away for John to hear.

Sam's elbow jabbed John's side. "Not a bad sight, is it?" He grinned at the sight of the crouching woman. Sam looked to John and his smile fell a bit at his friend's frown. "What?"

"She's your teammate, you shouldn't be treating her like that. She deserves respect, not to be leered at." John shook his head. "It's just not proper behavior."

They men all watched as Linda climbed out of the water and walked toward Kelly and Kathleen. "You do realize she's going to tell them what you two were just talking about?" Will grinned and waved as Kelly and Kathleen turned to look back at them.

Kelly glared at the boys and Kathleen shook her head, saying something before she stuck up her middle finger and faced the back of her hand toward the lake. Kelly imitated the gesture but was more focused on what Kathleen was telling her.

John frowned as he looked over to see Fred whispering something to Will. The pair nodded and Fred got out of the water. He moved over and crouched in front of Kathleen. She seemed to be agitated with him, or with so many people talking to her all at once. John watched as Fred leaned forward for a second before he suddenly stood up and ran toward the lake.

Kathleen turned around from where she was sitting on the ground and got to her feet. "I'm going to kill you, Fredric!" Fred ran back to the water and dove in. Kathleen followed him to the edge of the lake but didn't go any further. "Come up here onto the land so I can kick your butt."

"Why would I do that? You'll hurt me if I go on dry land. Back me up here." Fred looked to Sam and John. "It would be stupid to go on land, wouldn't it?"

"Strategically speaking, yes. It would be a bad idea to go onto the land where the enemy is. Though in this case you're sort of doomed no matter what. She's not going to leave before we do, and we aren't going to come to your aid, so she'll get you eventually. It's more of a question of do you want to hurt now or later." John shrugged. "Completely your choice."

"Wow, I'm so glad to know you have my back." Fred looked back up at Kathleen and grinned. "Good thing I have a backup plan." Kathleen looked confused and Fred just continued to grin.

Will suddenly shot out of the water and grabbed the front of Kathleen's shirt and pulled her down into the water. Kathleen thrashed and Will quickly swam away, a hand clutching his head as he stopped next to John. "Damn she hits hard under water."

"I am going to kill the both of you." Kathleen shook her head and glared at Fred. Her clothing was soaked and clung to her body.

"Quick, grab her." Fred moved forward and Sam did as well, grabbing onto Kathleen's arms. "Help us out here, John." Fred wrapped his arm around Kathleen's so that she couldn't stop him from holding her or hit him.

John frowned at them and shook his head. "With what? I don't see why attacking her would make her any less angry or likely to attack you."

"With taking her clothes off. It's not skinny dipping if she has clothing on." Fred grunted as Kathleen tried to pull free. "Hurry up."

"I'm not doing that." John backed away a bit and looked over as Kelly and Linda joined them in the water again. He looked to Will and motioned to Kathleen. "You do it."

"Why won't you do it? Aren't you supposed to be squad leader? Here you are afraid of undressing a woman." Will rolled his eyes and moved over to Kathleen, starting to undress her.

John moved a bit over to Kelly and Linda. "I actually just don't want to be punched when they let her go." He glanced over his shoulder as Will threw the last of the clothing onto the bank. As soon as Sam and Fred released Kathleen her fist struck Will in the stomach. "That was what I was avoiding."

"Smart of you," Linda commented. "All right, time for some games." She smiled a bit and John frowned, a bit worried.

It turned out he had good reason. The first thing they played was chicken, which involved having Kelly's thighs against his cheeks an her bare crotch pressed to the back of his neck, all the while trying to stay standing as Kathleen and Linda tried to knock her off. After a while of both Fred and John being awful bases they finally decided to change games. They played Marco Polo, which went worse than the first game. The girls had thought that it was funny to put their hands under the water when they went looking for a person. John's rear had been grabbed several times and there had been a very awkward moment when Kelly had grabbed a very sensitive part of him under the water. He was still finding it hard to meet her gaze.

Linda was the first to head back to base. She said something about her hands being wrinkly and left. Will left next, followed by Kathleen who dragged Fred with her. Sam stuck around for a bit then decided to head back. That left John and Kelly alone in the calm waters. They stared up at the stars above, leaning back against the bank.

"I love looking at the stars." Kelly smiled as her gaze turned to the moons, hanging in the sky. "It's so beautiful here at night." She looked to John and smirked. "Wanna play a game of two person Marco Polo?"

John smirked and decided that she must be joking. He decided to joke back. "Not if you're going to grab so hard." He looked away from the stars as Kelly moved to be standing before him. She leaned forward, placing her hands on the bank behind him.

"I promise I'll be gentler this time." Kelly smirked suggestively at him and John blushed, though he didn't stop her as her arms moved around his neck and she closed the space between them.


	138. Cortana

**Paring: John/Kelly  
**

**Title: Cortana**

**Note: Sorry if Cortana seems wrong in this story. She is very, very rampant and I do hate that annoyance.  
**

John moved over to the holotank and hit the controls. "Cortana." His voice was thick with his agitation. He stood and waited for the AI to reply.

The holotank came to life and the familiar purple avatar appeared. "What can I do for you, Chief? You seem like someone put a badger in your pants."

"This is not happening, Cortana. Reschedule the testing that I'm supposed to do next week." John crossed his arms and waited for the AI to reply.

"I can't reschedule it. The testing is happening that day. I don't see what could be so important that you couldn't move it to another day so you can complete your duty." Cortana's avatar frowned at him.

"Then I will not be there for the testing. I will be entering into matrimony with the woman I love." John was finding it harder and harder not to think that Kelly was right. "You have to stop doing this, Cortana."

"I'm not doing anything. I don't schedule the testing or your meetings." Cortana's avatar crossed its arms. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"The big deal is that this isn't the first time you've been scheduling things for days that I have things with Kelly. You've been doing it for a while. Date nights that I have planned weeks in advanced, anniversaries, the doctor's appointment." John shook his head looking away from the avatar. "I just don't see why you're doing this."

Cortana's avatar shifted, looking away from him a bit. She noticeably hesitated, something was was just another of the signs of what was really wrong. "You realize the only reasons you ever see me are usually when you've gone to test something. You never drop by just to see me."

John furrowed his brow, trying to understand what she was talking about. "Cortana, I'm busy these days. I'm assisting with troop training and I spend my free time with Kelly."

"Exactly," Cortana countered. "You have time for her but you can't make any time for me. Is it so bad that maybe I want an excuse to see you?"

John frowned and shook his head. "Are you saying you're jealous of the time I spend with Kelly?" It was a hard question to ask. The answer could mean a death sentence for the AI.

"Can you blame a girl? You and I used to be so close, now I never see you and when you are around it's nothing but business. How am I supposed to feel?" Cortana's avatar looked toward him, a sorrowful look on its face.

John sighed and knew what it meant. Jealousy was too human of an emotion for a smart AI to have. "Cortana, I love Kelly. She will always get my free time before others. We're getting married and starting a family."

Cortana's avatar looked away from him again. "You love her." Her gaze turned to the ground. "You'll never love me. Not the same way you love her."

"You are a friend Cortana, maybe even like family, but no, I will not love you the way I love her." John let his arms fall limply to his side. He didn't know where to go from here. He couldn't just not tell the ONI scientist about this happening, about what she had admitted. Yes, Cortana was his friend, teammate, but she was clearly rampant, and it was his duty to report it.

"I'll reschedule the test. I will also send a copy of this conversation to the lab." The Avatar looked toward John and he almost felt like feel eyes were on him. "I'm sorry, John." The holotank switched off and John suddenly felt like the room was too dark.

He made his way back to the barracks and was glad to find Kelly in the kitchen, making a bag of popcorn. "Oh, did you get everything sorted out? I was just going to sit down and watch a movie, want to join?"

John nodded and Kelly turned her attention back to the popcorn. John moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek. "I love you, Kelly." His hand moved to her stomach and he rested his head against hers. "I love both of you."

"I love you too, John." Kelly looked back toward him, causing John to have to move his head away. "Did something happen?" John looked away from her, toward the floor. "Do you want to talk about it?"

John thought about that. Kelly was the one person he could talk to about things no matter what, but he just didn't feel right about it. "No."

"Well, if you want to talk then I'm here for you." Kelly put a hand on his cheek and pulled his head down to kiss his cheek. John hugged her tighter and they stood and just waited for the popcorn to finish.


	139. Joshua

**Pairing: Kathleen/Fred**

**Title: Joshua**

**Note: This was a requested piece. The person asked for Fred to be somewhat violent toward Kathleen in like anger or something. I'm not considering it canon to the rest of the series of stories about them as I don't think Fred would ever act this way toward Kathleen, or anyone. But still, it was requested so I gave it a shot. **

Kathleen curled up a bit more against Fred as his arms tightened around her. Fred had just explained to her everything that had happened on Onyx. She was still focused on one part of it, the death of her best friend from their training days. The death of Will. She would gladly admit that it was a good and proper Spartan death, but she hated to think that he died like that. That his body was on some planet that most people would never even know about. Realizing that the MIA beside his name was nothing but a pure lie she tightened her hand around the tags in her grip. Fred had given them to her when he'd found out that she'd collected their fallen teammate's tags.

Fred's hand was toying with the other tags around her neck. He moved one so that she could read it. "Where did you get this tag?"

Kathleen shifted to be a bit more comfortable against him. "I took it off of Sheila's body. That was when I found out that you and the others were still alive."

Kathleen looked up at Fred who was frowning. "That was a long time ago. You knew all that time that we were still alive?"

Kathleen nodded. "But I had orders to avoid you. We don't have that problem anymore." She placed a light kiss on his collar bone. "Though I always tried to keep tabs on you."

Fred flipped over another one and Kathleen saw the look of confusion cross his face. "Where did you get Joshua's tags?" There was something to his voice that she couldn't be sure about.

Kathleen turned the tag so that she could look at the numbers on it. "I got it on Reach." She remembered Joshua giving them to her, the blood flowing to the floor from his abdomen. "He shouldn't have died like that." She hated having been forced to leave him like that.

"There was nothing that could be done. Joshua was dead and the mission and lives of everyone else couldn't have been risked." Fred shifted under her, like he was suddenly uncomfortable.

"He shouldn't have died alone like that. A better leader would have gotten him out alive, would have saved him, not just left him there like that. No soldier should be left to die like that." Kathleen stared intently at the tag, remembering that day. "The plan was ill conceived from the start. Wasn't thought through enough." Kathleen furrowed her brow. She'd been so stupid to have not fully checked everywhere, to have not even though to stealth elites being in the building. She should have known, and because of her mistake Joshua had died.

Kathleen suddenly found herself being pushed off of Fred. She glared at him as she sat up and moved off of him. He was glaring back at her and she didn't understand why. "I thought we were past that." Kathleen scowled, not getting it. "I thought we were past you insulting me and second guessing every choice I make or have made. I didn't have any other options and we couldn't just try to sit around and hold the generators." Kathleen's face had turned to pure confusion, but Fred continued. "I couldn't go back to Joshua. If I had then both me and Kelly probably would have been caught and killed. The Spartans needed organization and I'd split them up into teams and hadn't designated who would lead if I had died. I had to think about the bigger picture. I don't care if you think it was a bad choice but I made it and I'm not going to let you sit there and question a decision that I'm sure you couldn't have made any better." Now Fred was mad, and it was obvious. Kathleen had never seen him that mad at her. Sure, he'd argued with her in the past, yelled at her, but he wasn't yelling right now. There was something more intimidating at just the anger in his voice.

Kathleen reached out placing her hands on his cheeks to try to pull him toward her. He moved and she hadn't expected it. Her head hit back against the arm of the couch. Fred had a grip on her wrists and was glaring down at her. Kathleen groaned and looked up at the man above her. "Fredric, what the Hell are you talking about?" Fred didn't seem to really hear her. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Fred. I wasn't talking about you. **I'm **the one that got Joshua killed. I left him in the lab to die alone of blood loss. I didn't see the stealth elite. I brought him on my mission. That has nothing to do with you."

Fred suddenly moved away from her, as though just realizing what he'd been doing. "What are you talking about?" Kathleen rubbed at the back of her head and Fred pulled her up toward him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." His arms wrapped around her and Kathleen relaxed into his grip.

"It's all right, Fred. A couch arm with fabric on it is not as hard as the many rocks, hammers, and elite fist that I've had slam into my head over the years." Kathleen admitted to herself that it had been a bit worse than any of those events. She knew Fred hadn't meant to cause her any pain, he hadn't even been aware, but she'd never seen him be aggressive like that outside of combat. He could be just as violent and strong as any other Spartan in the field, but she'd never seen it outside of a firefight. "What were you talking about?"

Fred cradled her body to his chest as he lay back on the couch. "On reach we went to take a nuke into a cruiser using their grav lift. When we were making out fly in Joshua's banshee got hit and we lost radio contact. I have to leave him there. We were flying over thousands of Covenant and I couldn't risk going back. Kelly and I had to continue on forward."

Kathleen shook her head. "That is perfectly sound to do. That many enemies, and just the two of you. You're not stupid like me and you don't just jump into enemies to see how many you can kill." Kathleen put her head on his chest over his heart, listening to the beat as it slowed to a steadier pace. "If you'd gone to look for him you would have found me and my team. We found the crashed banshee, and found Joshua, alive. I let him come with us to the base that was our next target. We were looking for our objective when a stealth elite slashed his stomach open. I left him there to head to the last of the bases we had to go to."

Fred's hand moved up to toy with a bit of her short hair. "There's nothing you could have done, Kathleen. I know how sneaky stealth elites can be. It was probably waiting there for you the entire time."

"Exactly." Kathleen shook her head trying to explain what she meant. "I had a feeling something was wrong, that it was too easy. I should have thought of stealth elites but I didn't and that mistake cost Joshua his life."

"Joshua didn't think of it either. Objectively did you really think he was going to make it off of Reach? He was injured, far from my team, and there was no real hope to get a medical unit to help him." Fred started to run his hand over her head, trying to sooth her as he held her to his chest.

"Maybe that would be true. Maybe if he'd made it through that he would have just been killed by Blade and then I would have killed Blade and I never would have met him." Kathleen sat up a bit, moving so that her arms were crossed over Fred's chest and she could set her chin on them. "Then you wouldn't get jealous every time he comes over."

"I don't get jealous," Fred defended. "I just don't like the fact that he attacks you every time. I mean, I don't like the two of you doing that."

Kathleen raised an eyebrow. "He attacks me because we try to kill each other, or at least assert dominance. Are you jealous of me fighting him?"

Fred shrugged slightly. "A little, but only a little. You just never fight with me anymore. It's not like I'm not a specialist in hand-to-hand combat."

Kathleen smirked at him and pulled herself up to place a light kiss on his cheek. "Fred, you are an idiot." He frowned at the comment. "The only thing you actually gave your all was sparing. I still always beat you, and I knew you were trying. Made pinning you to the mat all the more rewarding."

"I didn't really try. I didn't want to hurt you on accident with my awesome hand-to-hand skill." Fred smirked back at her. "After all, who's always in control?"

"Oh, that's because I let you have control." Kathleen wrapped her arms around his neck. "If I wanted it I could have it."

"See, now that sounds like a challenge." Fred's arms moved Kathleen over his chest and slipped under her knees and behind her back as he stood up. "See, I'm the leader of the Spartans now, so that means I can't take challenges like that lying down."

Kathleen smirked up at him. "Bring it on, Lieutenant." She pulled him down enough to kiss him as he carried her out of the living room.


	140. Gray

**Pairing: Jai/Adriana**

**Title: Gray**

Adriana stared out at the star spotted view of space. She could still see those canisters being shot out into the reaches of space. Just like that so many of the Spartans were gone. She was lost in thought and only realized that someone had come up to stand behind her when she spotted his reflection in the glass. "How is Mike?"

Jai moved up to stand by her side. "They said that he'd be out in no time. He's still recovering but he made it through." In the reflection Adriana could see that Jai was looking at her. "How are you doing?"

"Getting used to this body. It is so hard to move and things feel so different. Everything I see is more vivid, and I feel like I have to walk slowly or I trip over my own feet." Adriana didn't like any of it. It meant that now she was clumsy and awkward. "How about you?"

"The same, though you and Mike made it through, so I'm happy." Jai's hand brushed against hers but she figured it was just a mistake. It was hard to keep from bumping into things from time to time. "They said they were going to keep up our treatment, start into some advanced math classes and more advanced flight simulations."

"It should at least keep us busy. Let those who lost friends keep their minds off of it." Adriana was glad she wasn't one of them. She still had Mike and Jai. Not everyone was that lucky.

Jai's hand touched Adriana's again but this time it remained there. His hand slowly moved until he was holding hers. "I'm glad that I'm not a part of that group." Jai smiled at her a bit and Adriana returned it. "You and Jai are all I have. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, I'm sure that Gray Team would just be added to the main roster of Spartans for John to command." Adriana was sure he'd find something to do if Gray team weren't around.

"That's not what I mean." Jai frowned a bit and Adriana turned to him. "I can't tell if you're being a smart ass or if you're serious about that."

"I was being serious. I mean they wouldn't just let a Spartan go to waste. Half the group was killed. No soldier can be wasted in this war." Adriana frowned back at him. "If that wasn't what you meant then why did you say it?"

"I mean I didn't mean it that way. I meant that without you I don't know what I'd do with myself." Jai shook his head a bit. "I'm trying to be a bit sweet and romantic."

"You know you aren't all that great at that. I mean, usually your intent gets misunderstood because you refuse to be clear about the fact that whatever it is that you're doing is supposed to have a romantic meaning." Adriana had had this conversation with him several times in the past. It tended to happen any time he tried to be romantic. She preferred it when he just told her what he felt.

"Fine, I can be straight forward." He turned toward her and Jai forced her to turn to face him. Adriana raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was retaliating by taking her straight forward comment as literal and making them talk straight to each other. "Adriana, you mean a lot to me. If you hadn't made it through I wouldn't have known what to do with myself."

Adriana smiled a bit and slowly leaned toward him. If she moved to fast she'd bump into him. "See, couldn't you have just said that from the start?" She smirked a bit before her lips touched his. Just like all her other actions the kiss was clumsy and what they had perfected was awkward and over powered. Adriana was forced to pull away before she usually would have.

Jai frowned, apparently not happy with how the kiss had gone. "Maybe we should go check on Mike. He'd be happy to see that you made it through." The words were off, like he was really just trying to get them off the subject of the kiss.

"Or we could find a empty space and practice our making out. Apparently we both need a lot of work." Adriana smiled up at him. "It might take a while to finally get back to our old level."

Jai looked at her, the part of him that was their team leader fighting with the man she often found herself intertwined with where no one would find them. "I think that we do need to improve our skills. Any training would be helpful." Jai then turned and started to walk out of the room. He stopped when he reached the door and looked back at Adriana. She had just been watching him, standing in place. "Did you change your mind?"

Adriana shook her head. "I just like watching you walk away from me." She started to walk toward him, a bit of an evil smirk on her face.

"Well, then you can walk a few steps behind me. We might avoid some suspicion that way, and you get to enjoy the show." Jai opened the door and walked out, Adriana following a bit behind him.


	141. Warrior Bond

**Pairing: John/Arbiter**

**Title: Warrior bond**

The arbiter stood before the monument, glancing back over his shoulders. Some of the soldiers were still watching him like he was the enemy, like any moment he'd go on a rampage and kill them all. Did any of them even know that he was one of the few elites that were siding with them? Did they realize that without his words they would all be dead? He doubted it, and he didn't care. As long as they didn't shoot him it didn't matter that they didn't trust him.

The elite had waited until the main group for the ceremony had left. Once they had he'd returned to stand before the broken metal that stood as a reminder of the humans that had gone through the portal. It saddened him a bit to know that such a tradition didn't exist in his people. They didn't build monuments to war, they just told stories of the old. There would be no monument to the elites that had died on the Ark, no symbol of their sacrifice, just memories. They would fade into the history of their families, not even legends though they paid the great price to save everything like these humans.

The Arbiter reached out, hand lightly running over the etched numbers on the metal. His fingers ran over the surface and he tried to convince himself the humans were right. He didn't really believe it, and he couldn't convince himself of it. He knew that somewhere out there, somehow he had survived. The arbiter had known him to be thought dead over and over, but always he came back.

The Arbiter spoke freely in his own language. So few soldiers knew the tongue of his people so he felt comfortable, as though he was talking to himself. "I know that you're out there, somewhere, waiting to be found again. How many times did you and I come fast to face, fight the flood, stand side-by-side? Every time we made it through, you and me, destine to see our people through this war. You became clarity to me, showed me the truth. You knocked me down, tore me down to become Arbiter, but if I wasn't I would have never known the truth, I would have been killed like our council."

The Arbiter relaxed a bit. "I wonder if another Arbiter beside me would have seen the truth. You showed me the light, showed me humanity could be honorable and that the prophets lied. Not just about the Halos, but about your people. You take what we've made and improve on it, how can that be against the will of any group of Gods?" The Arbiter sighed and removed his hand from the metal. "So obvious it is now, all those doubts I had in the past were all true. The prophets just looked to keep their power. Greed, something that warriors like you and I cannot understand. You looked only to save your race, and I looked only to do my family, my clan, proud. To honor all my brothers, my mother, my Keep, and my rank."

The Arbiter stood up a bit taller. "I would have been proud to call you a member of my keep. You would have been a good brother." The Arbiter laughed a bit. "That is if we knew our brothers. I think you would have liked growing up as my people. We are trained from the moment we can fight, we grow up in a community so every young that is born in a keep is your brother or your sister. I will admit that maybe our people have flaws in some places, but I still think you would have liked it."

The Arbiter turned his gaze toward the sky, to the place where the portal had once hung in the air. "It all feels like a dream now, a horrifying dream, but I know it's not. You and I were not friends before we went through there, but in the end, in the end you and I found something greater than a weapon or a way to stop the flood. We found a bond that is forged in war, in combat, standing together though the hardest of fights. It was my honor to stand against the flood with you. To have you present as I erased the one who had ordered your people to die, who had used and manipulated my species into genocide of your people. There was also something even more important than that. On that blasted station, so far away, I found that you and I were not that different. So long of hating you for surviving, for killing my friends and brothers, for casting me into shame. I found forgiveness, clarity, the sort of things that the prophets told us faith would give us."

"Everything I thought I knew is falling apart, Spartan. I almost wish you were here so you could help my people see what I learned from you. This road is still long ahead of us, and I wish to borrow whatever strength you can give me to see my people through to the other side." The Arbiter hung his head. "I hope that one day I find you again, and I can ask your forgiveness. Forgiveness for your brothers and sisters that I killed, for the innocents that I helped to destroy, and for being blind."

The Arbiter stepped away from the monument. "When all of this is over, when my people can be stable and I know it is safe, I will find you. I swear on my honor, I Thel Vandam, Kiadon of Vandam keep, shall search for you until I find you, or die trying." He turned and moved away from the monument, heading to the waiting phantom that hovered near by to take him back to his ship.


	142. Plan

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: Plan**

Carter shook his head, looking away from his second-in-command. "I don't know, Kat. It seems really risky and I don't know if it is all that safe." Carter looked out of the window of the small room to where he could see the Covenant corvette hanging in the air. Right now it was raining down death on the city, and the main thing that was standing in the way of the evac of the planet. He turned his attention back to Kat.

"Do we really have any other choice? I know my plan is risky, Carter, but it's the best I can come up with." Kat set her helmet down on the table with a paper schematic of the city. "Do you have any other ideas?"

Carter looked away from her. "I don't have any ideas on how to take it out, but you're not suggesting taking a pelican up and delivering a bomb with a quick way off. You're suggesting a Spartan take it up there, activate it, and risk having no way to get off of it before the nuke went off. Not to mention it is our only nuke."

"We can't send a pelican up, it would just get blown up and we have no way of being sure that we could get into the ship at all. We can use the main grav lift to get into the ship but a pelican can't do it. A Spartan with a Jet pack could. And I'm not suggesting just any Spartan. I'm volunteering to take it up to the ship."

"No." Carter said the word a bit quicker and more forcefully than he had meant to. Kat's shoulders slumped and she looked more annoyed with him than anything. It wasn't what he expected. Usually when he showed he was concerned she would point it out and tease him but then again, right now they were in combat. That meant nothing but business as always. "I mean, if you didn't come back then I wouldn't have a Noble Two."

"Then promote Jun. I don't care what you do. This is my plan, and a dangerous one. I wouldn't ask anyone else to be the one to carry the bomb." Kat crossed her arms over her chest. "You know I can do this."

Carter knew that she could, he just didn't want her to. He thought about it and made a decision. "We're not going onto that ship, Kat. It's too dangerous." Kat tried to speak but he held up a hand. "We will still be going through with your plan. Although you are crazy and this plan is nuts, we don't really have any other options. Instead you'll set a timer so that you can throw it into grav lift and go off when it reaches the top."

"What if they reveres the lift and sent it back down?" Kat was tapping a finger against her chin as she thought over the plan.

"They won't. They probably won't even notice it coming up. After all this time they still don't seem to know what our nukes look like." Carter stood from where he was sitting. "Can you do it?"

"That's a stupid question. Of course I can." Kat frowned at him, annoyed that he would question her skill. "I'll put together a timer for the bomb so that way I can put on a delay long enough. Most of their timers only last for a few seconds but it will need at least a minute to get all the way up and then there's also the fact it might have to be changed as the thing moves." Kat was deep in thought, muttering to herself about settings and features she'd need.

"Well, Noble Team will have your back." Carter reached out to put a hand on Kat's shoulder but stopped. She wasn't really paying attention. "I'll have your back."

Kat stood from where she'd been leaning against the table. She scooped up her helmet as she moved. "Well, then there's no way this plan can fail." She smiled at Carter before slipping on her helmet and moving out of the room.

Carter sighed. He hoped he was making the right choice going along with the plan.


	143. Itch

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: Itch **

Carter lay on his cot, reading over the latest combat report. He wasn't at all happy with the numbers that had come back. There had been great losses of life and ships, and worse of all; Noble team hadn't been able to do anything. They had been too far away since they were still supposed to be recovering after Thom's death. It annoyed Carter that they couldn't be put into combat now and soldiers were dying because of it.

Carter's attention was pulled from the report as the motion on the cot beside his distracted him. He looked over at the Lieutenant Commander who was wiggling around on her cot. He frowned, confused as to what she was doing. There was an annoyed look on her face and she grumbled something that he didn't catch. "Need help?"

Kat stopped and turned to look at Carter. "My right arm can't reach back as well as my old one. I've got a spot on my back that I can't reach." She wiggled around a bit more on her cot, trying to scratch her back. She cursed in a language that Carter had only heard her use on rare occasions. He wasn't sure what had been the national language of New Harmony, but he guessed that it was what she was speaking.

Carter stood from his cot and moved over to sit on Kat's. He motioned for her to roll over and she did. Carter's hand went to her back, scratching along her spine. "Tell me where you want it."

Kat settled on the bed and arched up a bit toward the hand. "Commander, you are very good at that." She let out a familiar purring sound and Carter smirked, enjoying it. He continued to scratch randomly along her back looking for the right spot. "Oh, right there. Yeah, that's the spot." Kat's hands gripped the sheets a bit tighter, a happy smile covering her face as her eyes closed.

"You like that?" Carter scratched the spot that she had told him was right. He hesitated for a moment before he removed his hand and Kat let out a groan of frustration. He slid his hand and arm up her shirt so that he could scratch her skin directly. He was scratching just under her right shoulder bone and he could feel her arm move, pushing the bone out a bit. He could feel the edges of scar tissue from where the arm had been attached that snaked along her back and the edge of the metal attached to her torso.

"Oh, I love it, Carter. Harder." Carter did as she ordered, scratching the spot with more force. "That is perfect." Carter blushed a bit as she moaned lightly, muttering his name once. "A little faster." Carter increased the speed of his scratching. Having to lean over a bit more to do it. Carter leaned over, placing a light kiss on the shoulder of her robotic arm.

"Wow, not what I expected from what I heard." Carter looked over his shoulder at Emile who was standing in the doorway. "Way more boring than what I thought was going on."

Carter frowned at him, understanding what the soldier meant, but not liking it. "That is highly inappropriate." Not that Carter didn't like the idea of it happening, but Emile making jokes about it wasn't something he found acceptable. Emile just shrugged, not feeling threatened like Carter was trying for. Kat pushed her back against his hand which had stopped scratching. "You're like a needy cat."

Kat looked back at him and sat up. "If I'm a cat would rubbing myself against you get you to scratch me more?" She didn't wait for a response. Her cheek rubbed against his hand then ducked down to rub against his abs. Carter glanced back at Emile and the EVA helmeted Spartan was watching them. For fear that Kat would rub against another part of him Carter's hand returned to scratching her back.

Kat settled into place, her arms crossed on his leg and lying across his lap as he scratched her. Carter could hear Emile chuckle and he just tried to ignore it. Maybe he'd just give him some boring job, or take Kat's advice and put him in the field with Jun rather than Jorge. Carter turned his attention fully to the woman on his lap, eyes closed and letting out an occasional purr of enjoyment. Eventually Emile would leave and if he were lucky Kat would fall asleep and he could get some work done.


	144. Can we win?

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Can we win?**

Kelly looked to the man sitting on his cot across from her. He'd stopped sharpening his knife several minutes ago and was now just staring at it. She wasn't sure what was wrong with it but he seemed to be examining it, looking for any flaw. Kelly glanced around the room and saw only Grace sitting over with Anton, talking to each other. She opened a private COMM with John, double checking that it was private to be sure no one overheard them. "You know staring at that thing isn't going to make it any sharper." She made her tone light, hoping that she could ease whatever was bothering him with a bit of humor.

John looked up to her, but he didn't say anything. Kelly could feel his gaze, heavy on her, examining him like he had the knife. He slid the blade back into its place in his armor. His hand reached out, gently touching her hand. She looked down at it and then glanced back at Grace and Anton. She was surprised to see John doing something like initiating contact while others were around. John pulled his hand back and finally spoke. "Wait a few minutes and follow me out." John stood up and Kelly watched as he moved out of the room.

Kelly waited for a little and then got up and followed him out of the room, knowing this routine of trying to keep people off their tails which they'd been doing for years. If they left at different times then Anton and Grace were less likely to get suspicious. She found John waiting outside of the door. Kelly fell into line behind him as they moved through the corridors. John moved into a room to the side and Kelly followed him in. He locked the door behind him and moved over to a crate of boots that was set to one side of the room.

Kelly pulled off her helmet and moved to stand before him. "So you going to tell me what's got you all deep and pensive?" She moved to sit on the crate beside him.

John removed his helmet and set it on the crate behind them. He then turned his attention back to Kelly. There was a distant look on his face that she hadn't seen before "You once asked me if there would be more planets to fight for. At the time I had ignored the comment." His gaze turned to the ground. "I haven't thought at all about the possibility of losing, even argued with you about how we can't lose. But it was something that Doctor Halsey said to me today. She said we were running out of planets. The way she spoke, it was like she thought we were going to lose no matter what, that she was working on a backup plan." His hand moved over and settled on Kelly's knee. "I'm starting to wonder if maybe we might not win."

Kelly moved her hand to settle on his. "Just after the last mission you were still optimistic about winning. Did some simply words really change your mind that much?"

John didn't answer right away, but his gaze turned to her hand on his. "She said that there were fewer and fewer planets to run to. That humanity should be looking to where it might have to hide if it were to be that the Covenant destroyed everything. I guess it just made me think again, that maybe this wasn't really a victory, but another domino in a line. That this might be just one more step toward losing."

Kelly's free hand moved over, gently moving to John's chin to force him to look up at her. "There's only one woman who's words should affect your mood. Those are mine."

John stared into her eyes, and she could see that his mind was just a bit more at ease. "It was your words. When Doctor Halsey told me that we were running out of planets it made me think of what you said, then made me think that we as Spartans have been falling one by one. It makes me think that maybe one day something will happen and from every day after that, I'll wake up without you there anymore." John leaned in so that he was closer to her, only an inch away. "I don't think it would be an actual victory for me if when the dust settled all that I cared about was dead. Humanity may go on, but is it really surviving if everything we have is destroyed and broken, humanity broken, do we even really survive?"

Kelly moved her hand from his and over to his leg. "You can't talk like that, or think like that. We need you to be strong. If you aren't strong, if you don't think we'll win, then we stand no chance of winning.** I** need you to be strong John. You believing that we have to win is the only reason that I believe that we can win." Kelly moved a bit closer, her free hand moving up to his face, touching his cheek, trying to reassure him. "Even if war can break a species, that species can always fix itself. Humanity will be all right. I'm sure that if I weren't there that you would find someone else. Someone that can make you happy."

John shook his head. "I'd compare every woman to you, and they could never match." He moved forward just enough to bring their lips together for a quick second. "Though I'd want you to find a new man if I died."

Kelly smiled and shook her head. "No man could ever stand up to the memory of you." Kelly pulled him to her and kissed him forcefully. They broke apart and Kelly was pleased to see that John tried to once more close the gap between them. She moved back on the crate so that she was leaning against the wall and pulled John to her. His cheek rested on her chest plate and closed his eyes. Kelly's hand moved up to his hair, running her hand slowly over his head, calming him. They sat on the crate, in the empty room, until they realized that people would notice, and decided it was best to avoid suspicion. As Kelly watched John leave she smiled, noting that he seemed to walk with more confidence and purpose.


	145. Wasn't There

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Wasn't there**

Kelly's hands moved over the scars on John's chest. She traced them as she remembered each and every fight that he'd received them in. She stopped as a cut that ran from his abs to his hip. She couldn't remember where that scar had come from. Kelly wracked her brain, trying to figure out what fight had caused the scar.

John's eyes slowly opened and he looked a bit down at her. "What are you doing?" He looked down at her hand which was still running over the scar.

Kelly continued to stare at the scar. "I was trying to remember where this scar came from. I can't seem to think of what fight it was that you got it in." Kelly's finger ran over the slightly faded line.

"That's from a sword cut. I got that on Halo, so you weren't there to remember it." John's hand ran over Kelly's arm lightly until he reached her hand on his body. John pulled the hand away and put it higher on his chest. "I don't want to focus on that. I'd rather focus on better times."

Kelly's hand returned to moving over the scars high on his body. "I knew I should have been on blue team with you. I could have been there for you." Kelly's hand moved up higher, running over a scar on his shoulder. "I don't remember this one either."

"Kelly, if you'd been on my team you would have died, like Linda had." John once more pulled her hand away from the scar and moved it back down. "That I got from an infection form. A pod went off behind me. It was trying to get into my system, but the Arbiter got it off me."

Kelly was silent for a while, her hand absently tracing images on John's chest. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you, I should have been." Kelly sat up a bit and looked down at John. "Instead I was sitting around in some damn shield world while you were off doing all the work alone. I'm sorry."

"I wasn't alone; I had Johnson, and the Arbiter. I had ODST and elite warriors to fight with me." John lightly gripped the hand on his chest and lifted it to his lips, kissing the skin lightly. "I'm happier knowing that you were safe in there." His free hand moved up her side and stopped as it reached a long jagged scar. "Besides, you have some scars as well that I don't know the story behind."

Kelly looked down a bit away from him. "I kind of don't want to talk about that scar. I mean, I got it at the same moment that a very good soldier died." Kelly settled back onto his chest.

John wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up a bit higher on him. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to bring up any bad thoughts. I know what it's like to watch good soldiers die in combat." John turned them around and held himself over Kelly. "Now, I don't want to talk about the sad past any more. There is an entire future ahead of us that I'd rather focus on."

Kelly's hands moved up, cupping his cheeks. "I completely agree. There may be regrets that we have in the past but our future can be without such things." Her hand ran over the side of his face slowly. "I love you, John."

John leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I love you too, Kelly." A smirk edged onto John's face. "You know, I wonder if you're still ticklish."

Kelly's eyes widened a bit. "John, don't." She didn't get out another word before his hands went to work and any attempt to speak was drowned out by laughing.


	146. The Flood

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: The Flood**

John sat on the porch, watching as the two children played in the yard. Avery and Sam were throwing a ball back and forward, trying to see if they could throw it far enough their brother couldn't catch it. He looked to the two children sitting on the deck, too young to be allowed to freely run about. They sat on a blanket on the porch, playing around with the hunter and ODST stuffed figures. It was funny to see them acting like hunters had never once run into a back of marines and just stomped them all to death. John put his arm around Kelly's shoulder and she leaned into his shoulder.

John felt fully at peace, just sitting there with his wife as he watched his children play. The calm was broken as something streaked through the sky and he watched as it fell toward the base. It looked so far off but he could feel the ground shake as it impacted. John frowned, unable to explain the sudden fear in his mind. It was too great for just something hitting near the base.

Chaos broke lose all at once like someone had opened the gates of Hell and the horrors of Hell were pouring out. Off in the distance he could see large tentacles wrapping around the bases and the sky seemed to turn a sickly green. John stood from his spot on the porch but before he could even say anything he spotted Kelly running out into the yard to their two oldest sons.

John moved to grab his two youngest children but found his way blocked by an infected brute combat form. His adrenaline spiked as he recognized the flood and his blood ran cold as he could hear his children crying for him. He jumped over the railing of the porch and landed on the grass. No, it wasn't grass any more. His yard was covered with the fungus like growth of flood that he'd seen all over High Charity. John moved to the other side of the porch and could see his children, clinging to each other in fear. He was just about to jump over the other side and grab them when the wood they were standing on shattered. John lost sight of them as a tank burst through the wood and infection forms started to crawl out.

John heard another scream and he looked back to see Kelly trying to dodge infection forms as she clutched their sons to her chest. A sniper shot hit her leg and she fell to the ground, the children falling from her arms. A combat form landed behind his sons and he heard them scream, infection forms already swarming over Kelly. John could see that there were already flood growths sprouting on his wife. He cried out in helpless terror but no sound came.

John sat up in bed, breathing hard. He could feel the sweat on his body and he looked to the other side of the bed. The sheets there were vacant, though it was obvious that someone had been sleeping there. "Kelly?" His voice, though he tried to keep it calm, came out fearful and shaky.

"It's all right." John looked to the bathroom door and Kelly walked out, a small washcloth in hand. She moved over to her side of the bed and sat down. "Everything is all right." She pressed the washcloth to his face, drying away the sweat. She kissed his cheek and ran her hand over his hair. "Everything's all right, everything's safe."

John hugged her, burying his face in her shoulder, just breathing in deeply. He pressed his ear against her chest, listening to her heart beat as he used the steady rhythm to calm himself. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound and the feeling of her hand running over his hair in a steady motion. John could hear the vibrations through her chest as she spoke but he couldn't really understand the words. He was sure she was saying something calming and reassuring. She'd gotten used to how to deal with him after his nightmares.

John wasn't sure how much later it was when his heart finally settled at a normal pace and he was left just relaxing against his wife's shoulder. She didn't say anything, didn't ask anything. She knew already what he'd dreamed, and that he didn't want to relive the details. "Are you all right now?" John only nodded in response, keeping his eyes closed. His arms were wrapped around her, pulling him toward her warmth as he became more and more relaxed. Eventually he would just drift off to sleep.

It wasn't the first time he'd had such a bad dream, and he knew it wasn't going to be the last. At least, as long as he woke up and Kelly was there he was sure that he'd be fine.


	147. Seduction

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Kelly/Fred, John/Linda**

**Title: Seduction**

John sat at in one of the comfortable chairs in the commons area of the Spartan quarters. The set of cushioned furniture had been given to them by the UNSC. The set of three chairs and one couch were set up to make a semi-circle around the main monitor in the room that they often watched vids on. John was reading over the specs of the Mark VII armor which he was going to be trying out soon. He didn't want to be surprised by any of its features if he could help it. He was trying to keep his eyes on the words but he just couldn't stop himself from looking up. He couldn't stop his gaze from turning to the couple on the couch. It was a harder task than he had expected. He thought of going back to his room but the idea of leaving the commons area just because it hurt to watch them seemed like somehow losing a fight. He didn't like losing anything.

John frowned as Kelly laughed, wrapping her arms around Fred's neck. He couldn't help but feel that should be him on that couch with her. He should have been the one pulling Kelly closer and whispering in her ear. She relaxed against Fred and after a moment let go. Moving a bit away from him before standing. She leaned down and kissed him quickly before she left the room. Fred left a few minutes later leaving John alone.

He finally started to read the data before him when he heard on someone sit down on the couch. He looked over to find Linda lounging on the soft cushions. She was watching him in a way that made him a bit nervous. He felt like a deer who was staring down the mountain lion that was about to kill him. He didn't like it.

Linda stood and John watched as she walked toward him. No, walk wasn't the right word. There was a sway to his hips that reminded of Kelly walking away from him, teasing. Linda's steps were more like stalking, something a bit more dangerous in the way she walked. She stopped beside his chair and sat down on the arm. It seemed like an odd thing to do as she'd had a proper seat on the couch and the arm wasn't all that comfortable.

John moved to stand, willing to relinquish his seat to her but she stopped him. "I think you and I should talk." She smiled down at him and there was nothing innocent in the way she looked at him.

"Talk about what?" John asked.

"Well it seems that you find yourself once more in a position of pining for what can't be yours. We were only kids the last time you resigned yourself to ogling Kelly from a distance." Linda smirked a bit as she stared down at him. "I could be of assistance to you this time as well."

John frowned at the proposition. "First, this isn't like last time. There wasn't another man last time. Second, exactly what are you offering? I don't need a distraction."

"No, I'm not offering a distraction. I'm offering a mutually beneficial agreement that sees that both your needs and my needs are met." Linda suddenly shifted and joined him in the chair, sitting on his lap.

John fought his instinct to push her away, a dislike of anything pinning him down rising up. He frowned as he realized Kelly had never triggered that same instinct. Linda leaned in and her lips trailed over John's neck. His hands moved to her shoulders and held Linda a bit away from him. "Stop," he commanded.

Linda frowned at him, unhappy with his choice. "You're going to turn me down? You'd rather wish for a woman you can't have rather than the one trying to get you into bed?" Linda raised an eyebrow.

John released her but crossed his arms over his chest to keep some distance between them no matter what. "What happened last time was a mistake. You and I weren't in love and we aren't now. I'm not looking for my physical needs to be met. I want my emotional needs met."

Linda laughed and shook her head. "I'm sorry but emotional needs of a Spartan seems like an oxymoron." John frowned at her. She simply sighed and became more serious. "So I'm not cutting it for you on an emotional level, I get that, but you've had a taste for the physical. Don't tell me you think you can ignore that need forever."

John shook his head. "The physical can be dealt with in other ways." John was really wishing she would get off of him. He felt uncomfortable having this conversation while she was sitting on him.

"Sounds like someone learned the art of self-servicing, though do you really think your hand can compare to the feel of a real woman's body?" Linda leaned back on the arm of the chair, pushing her chest forward. "You and I both know what you really need."

John scowled at her words. "Enough." He pushed her just a little bit and she sprang up, still standing before him but scowling now. "How do you know what I need when you don't even know what you need? When was the last time, if ever, that you had a meaningful relationship? What we had wasn't anything other than physical, and I'm sure whatever was between you and Fred was only physical."

"Maybe all I need is something physical," Linda shot back.

"Well I'm not like that Linda. I need the emotional fulfillment that I got with Kelly, not the physical." John relaxed a bit, realizing that Linda was more on the defensive now. "Happiness doesn't have to mean physical gratification. Have you ever even just looked for someone that you have a personal connection with?"

Something he said struck a nerve and Linda turned from frustrated to angry. "Like you know me so very well." Linda left and John felt a bit guilty. He had been honest but he hadn't wanted to make her angry. He never wanted to hurt any of the other Spartans.

John reached down to the floor where his datapad had fallen. He didn't remember when he'd dropped it but it was undamaged. He looked down at the data but he no longer felt like reading so he tossed the datapad onto the nearby table, surprised to see that Kelly had returned.

"What did you do to make Linda so mad?" Kelly leaned against the side of the chair. "Never seen her so mad at you."

John considered what to tell her. He decided to omit Linda's proposition. Instead he chose to be as honest as possible. "I'm not sure what I did. Something I said upset her."

"Well what did you say to her?" Kelly sat down on the arm of the chair, settling in. "What were you two talking about?"

"I told her that I've never known her to have a relationship that's been anything other than physical and that maybe she should be looking for an emotional connection. Like what you and I have." Kelly didn't correct him so he continued. "A relationship built more on making each other happy not just the physical needs."

Kelly was silent for a moment before she sighed and slid down from the chair's arm onto his lap. "She'll get over it; you just have to give her time." Kelly leaned against him. It struck John as odd. It wasn't an intimate sort of contact. She curled up a bit against him and John's arms wrapped around her to try to comfort her.

Something had upset her and he wanted nothing more to shield her from whatever it was. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Kelly mumbled. "I just want my best friend to comfort me."

John let her rest her head on his shoulder. "We'll I'm here for you, Kelly. I'll always be here."

Kelly laughed lightly and sat up a bit so she could look him in the eye. "You're a good friend John. Even when I'm all upset over another man you're just as willing to console me."

"Fred upset you?" John hadn't seen that coming. "I can beat him up if you want me to."

"First, I don't know if you could. Fred is still a good hand-to-hand fighter. Second, what he said was true. I just... I don't know. It just made me so... I don't have the right words. I'll get over it or...I'll get over it. I can't fight fact." Kelly rested her head once more on his shoulder. "For now I just need a good friend to comfort me."

John hugged her a bit tighter for a second to assure her that he was there for her. "Good thing you've got me."

Kelly laughed lightly and John couldn't help but smile. He had a laughing, happy Kelly in his arms. So maybe ah wasn't keeping him warm at night or was telling him she loved him but he could accept that. When Halsey had taken her away the most he hoped for was a chance to finally tell her how he felt. So maybe he couldn't tell her he loved her as well, that didn't matter. He still had moments like this.


	148. Adoption

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title: Adoption**

Kelly had fallen asleep on the couch. She really hadn't meant to, but it had been a long day and John had kept her up really late the night before. She'd come home with some of her work and had sat down to get it done, only to drift off on the couch. Kelly woke up to the cries of a child. She grumbled, not wanting to get up. She wondered which of her kids it was this time. She sat up then stopped as she realized that all of her kids were full grown and out of the house. There shouldn't be any children crying.

Kelly got up and moved into the kitchen where she was surprised to find Catherin fussing over a two-year-old little girl while Leonard held the child against him, trying to sooth it. "It's all right, everything's all right. You just scared him."

Kelly looked across the table where the head of their orange cat, Frankie, was poking up over the edge of the table. Leonard looked up and finally spotted Kelly. "Oh, hey Grandma."

Kelly frowned at him, moving over to the two. "That's mom, not grandma. Where did you get a child? You were only away for a month." Kelly looked at the child and paused for a moment. The bright blue eyes and short brown hair reminded her of memories far in her past. A child on a doomed planet, a sad female Spartan, of a missing statue on Reach.

"Well I didn't give birth to her." Catherine stood and held out her arms. Leonard passed the child over to her and she moved the little girl so that Kelly could see her. "Mom, this is your new adopted granddaughter."

Kelly smiled at the little girl. "Well hello there. What's her name?" Kelly reached out to the child and her new granddaughter reached out, grabbing her hand.

"We haven't chosen a name yet. We don't know what her name used to be, or who her parents were. We know that they were killed in a rebel attack. Leonard saved her from the rubble and convinced me to adopt her. Personally I wanted to have one naturally, but I think that choosing her will do more good." Catherine smiled at the little girl. "We just haven't settled on a name."

Catherine moved back to sit at the table and as Kelly moved around she stopped at Leonard, leaning down and giving him a quick hug. "I knew you'd be a good husband. A good man." Leonard smiled at her and she moved around the table to the other side. As soon as she sat down Frankie moved onto her lap, wanting to get a look at the little girl without being too close.

"We wanted you and dad to meet her. Leonard's family is too far away so they don't get to meet her yet. We figured that since she looked sort of like us she could pass as our daughter and when she'd old enough we'll tell her the truth. Though first she needs a name." Catherine smiled at her daughter, placing a light kiss on the child's head. "We were hoping that you and dad could help us come up with a name."

"Well to be honest the moment I saw her a name came to mind, but you probably wouldn't want it. It's the name of someone I knew back during the war." Kelly absently petted the cat on her lap. "So where is she going to stay when you're deployed." Kelly wasn't even going to touch on the fact that they were a bit young to be already taking care of a kid. For all she knew twenty was more than old enough for them.

"Well, we don't even have a name in mind, so anything would be a help." Leonard put his arm around his wife. "Well we were hoping either you or my parents could take care of her. I mean she would live with us at your apartment when we're on base, but she'd basically stay with someone else when we are both away."

"Well, I'll have to talk to your father, but I'd be all for doing it. Frankie here is too self-reliant and John…well he doesn't need me the way a kid does. I sort of miss it. As for the name, it's Shar. A fallen Spartan who I knew."

"Shar? It is a name I've never heard. I could live with naming her after a Spartan. It's an honorable reason to name her it, and we don't have any other names." Leonard looked to Catherine. "What do you think?"

The woman looked down at her daughter and nodded. "All right, Shar it is. Shar Mendez." She smiled down at her new daughter. "So when will dad be home?"

"He should be home in an hour or so. I have a way though to keep your little girl busy." Kelly lead them out into the living room and had Catherine put Shar down on the floor as Kelly put on a chosen video. Catherine sat down on the couch with Leonard and they watched as the movie started to play.

"Oh, I remember this movie from when I was just a little kid." Catherine leaned against her husband. "I haven't seen it in years. All four of us would gather around to watch it, until Sam and Jacob grew too old for it."

"Yeah, then your father and I had to come up with something else to keep them occupied while we had sex." Catherine looked up at her mother, surprised. "Oh, don't give me that, you and I both know that eventually you're going to want to do the same thing with her, just to give you a bit of time, and a movie is perfect. You can take this one if you want."

"I just don't think of you and dad having been able to sleep together with four kids in the house and none of us knowing." Catherine laughed a bit. "Guess that explains why you always wanted us getting into some hobby or something. It would keep us busy."

"Well you'll always want a bit of time away from the kid, even if it's only to clean up the mess she's made." Kelly turned around smiling as John walked in the front door. "You're home early."

"Yeah I…" John looked down at Catherine and Leonard then to Shar. "I think I'm missing some information."

"Dad, that's our adopted daughter, Shar." Catherine motioned toward the little girl who was completely absorbed in the movie. "Do you mind if she stays with you and mom when Leonard and I are away? I swear it will only be until I get transferred to a job on the base."

John shrugged. "And here I thought we'd never end up with kids in our house again." John shook his head. "You get rid of four of them they start leaving their grandkids with you." John moved into the kitchen, moving to the fridge to get something to drink.

Kelly followed him in. "So you are agreeing to allow her to stay when they're deployed?"

John sighed and nodded. "I will miss the freedom of not having to worry if a kid with barge in when I'm trying to get frisky, but I love my daughter and if she needs us to see to her daughter until she gets a job on base then I'll do it."

"I swear, the older you get the hornier you get." Kelly shook her head but kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'm sure that we can find a movie to keep her busy if you get the urge."

"You know Doctor Halsey's note said that eventually our bodies would recalibrate for the suppressed sex drives and that they might over shoot. Maybe mine just overshot and has never settled back down. I mean after all I actually came home looking for some…what's the term, afternoon delight?"

"You know I can hear you in there?" Catherine asked from the other room. "I think I'm going to take my husband, my daughter, and the movie home before you scare one or all of us for life."

Kelly couldn't help but laugh. She moved out into the living room and bid her daughter and son-in-law goodbye before she moved back to the couch where John sat down. Her husband right way pushed her back onto the couch. "John, I'm tired."

John wrapped his arms around her and set his face on the arm of the chair beside hers. "Fine, I'll behave."

Kelly wrapped her arms around John's neck and relaxed under him. "How is it that Catherine has a husband, a home, and a daughter while Avery still hasn't proposed to Rosa, Sam has never had a serious girlfriend, and Jacob is only just now getting in a serious relationship but still refuses to tell us anything about the man?"

John shrugged. "Suppose it's because she's a girl."

"I'm not sure if I should be upset about that or not." Kelly's hand moved up to his hair and gently toyed with the short strands.

"I mean it in a good way. She takes after you. You can settle down, have a family and all of that without needing me, well I mean you were able to do that, ready for that. I wasn't. I needed you to be able to settle down. Jacob and Sam need the same thing. They need someone to give them good reason to settle down. Now, Avery says he wants to wait until he finds out if his book is a flop or not first. That way he knows how much he has to spend on the wedding."

"Well at least he's planning on asking. Took him long enough. For a while I thought he was going to wait as long as you did." Kelly chuckled and John pulled away from her a bit. "Oh, it's just a joke."

"Oh, well maybe I was just joking when I said I'd behave." John smirked, leaning forward so that his forehead was touching hers. "We'll see who's laughing then." He then closed the distance between them.


	149. Eagle

**Pairing: John/Kelly  
**

**Title: Eagle**

John had thought that this day would be easier. He'd thought that on this day he'd be proud, not worried about his child's safety. He looked at his eighteen-year-old daughter sitting on the couch. She was looking through a scrapbook that she and her siblings had made over the years. Over her shoulder John could read Jacob and Avery's handwriting on one page captioning the pictures.

John moved around the couch and sat down beside Catherine. She looked up at him and then back to the pictures. "I was just thinking about…well everything that I'm going to be missing for a while." Catherine turned the page to a picture of her family with the other Spartans. "I didn't really think about the fact I'd be leaving my family behind."

John sighed and held out his hand. Catherine passed the book to him and he looked down at their family. He flipped back in the book until he found a really old picture of Kelly, Sam, and himself. "You may be away from your family, Catherine, but you'll always have family." He moved the book so she could see the pages. "On my first day of training I met my best friend and your mother. Over time they, and all the other Spartans, became my family. None of your uncles and aunts are related to you by blood. Uncle Fred, Aunt Linda, even your grandfather aren't related by blood. Military gives you a second family, one that you'll trust your life with."

Catherine looked down at the picture and pulled it a little bit closer. "Wow, mom is taller than you are." She grinned and chuckled. "You were a short kid."

"Hey, I got taller than her. Though Sam was still taller than me." John frowned a bit at the memory of Sam. He thought of all that had happened and remembered why he'd actually come down here. "I actually had something I wanted to give to you." Catherine gave him a confused look and just waited for him to explain.

John picked something out of his pocket. He held up the silver coin and spun it in his hand so that she could see the side with the eagle on it. "When I graduated and became a Spartan, your grandfather gave this back to me. I'd brought it to boot with me but they took it away. They won't take this from you for your boot, so I want you to have it. I want you to look at it and remember that this is what you're trying to be."

Catherine furrowed her brow. "I'm trying to be a disk of metal?"

John shook his head. "I mean what's on it. The eagle. Swift, strong, a noble bird. It has been considered for many centuries as a creature of strength."

Catherine took the coin and looked down at the eagle on it. "Strong and swift like an eagle. Or like you and mom." She clutched the coin in her hand. "Thanks, dad."

John nodded and leaned over, kissing his daughter on the forehead. "And be sure to keep those boys away from you. I won't be there to chase them off."

"Oh, a positive of leaving." Catherine grinned and John shook his head. "I'm going to go show this to Jacob." She moved away from the couch and headed up stairs to show her brother.

John looked down to the book on his lap and flipped through it until he found a picture of just him and his daughter. "And here I thought you'd be trying to push them out the door to get into boot." John looked up to Kelly as she spoke.

John patted the couch beside him and Kelly walked over, sitting down. "Well I didn't mind when it was Jacob, but Catherine is my little girl. That's different."

"I thought I'd taught you enough to know not to treat her differently than your sons. Not that you ignored that when it came to her dates." Kelly shook her head and rolled her eyes. John had chased away just about every date Catherine had ever had but had let his sons date whoever they wanted.

"But she is different. I only have one daughter, and she's special. It's odd, I can look at my sons and just let them be, let the world toughen them, but when I look at Catherine I want to protect her from all of that. I want to just hide her away from all the bad I know is out there. Now she's going into a dangerous job and I am worried."

Kelly's arms moved around his neck and pulled him toward her. John's arms moved around her and held her against him. "Catherine is just as capable of handling all of that as our sons. Keep in mind she is my daughter, and I've always been able to take care of myself." Kelly smirked up at him. "After all, which of us always wins in sparring?"

"That's different. I can't keep up with your speed." John was probably stronger than she was, but Kelly had learned to use her speed to make up for that. It was enough that he hadn't beat her in sparring in a long time. "I'm sure I'll get over the worry, but I can't help it."

Kelly's hand moved up to his head and gently ran over his hair. "John, at some point the eagles push their young out of the nest. They have to fly on their own. We can't protect them from everything out there."

John sighed and moved to bury his face in the space between Kelly's shoulder and neck. "I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier to see them flying away."


	150. Afternoon Delight

Afternoon delight

Kelly stood beside the bed, folding the laundry. She was stacking it carefully, dividing it by pants and shirts and who it belonged to. She stopped for a moment, reaching back to massage her shoulder. This sort of repetitive motion just hurt after a while and there was no way to really prevent it. She returned to her task, rolling her eyes as she noticed a bit tare in one of Sam's shorts. That boy couldn't keep clothing in one piece.

The door to the bathroom opened and Kelly glanced back at John as he moved out, a towel around his waist. "I set out some clothing for you." Kelly motioned to the shirt pants and underwear that she'd put out on his side of the bed. She returned her attention to the clothing in her hand, trying to decide if the hole was small enough it could be mended or if she should just throw it out.

Lips brushed over Kelly's shoulder toward her neck as strong hands slid up under her shirt. Kelly smiled and glanced back at John. "Someone's feeling frisky."

John nipped at her neck as his hands found her chest. "More than frisky. Today's our day off." He smirked against her skin. "I can think of one good use of this time."

"Most people take their days off at the end of the week." Kelly's eyes closed and she smiled as he started to work her body. She started to turn and his hands slid out from under her shirt as she moved to face him a hand going to rest on his chest.

"Well most people don't have four kids in less than five years. Most people can have some quiet times on the weekends. The school system is the only way we get any quiet." John pushed her back against the bed and they fell over together. "The kids are down for their afternoon naps?"

Kelly nodded. "Sleeping like rocks…or like feathers so try not to make too much noise." The youngest pair of children were only in preschool so they'd only had school until noon. Luckily, when they got home they took a nap. It was often John's ideal time to pounce on his wife.

They kissed and tried to be careful not to mess up the piles of clothing that Kelly had already made, though a couple shirts toppled off one as John's elbow nudged it. His mouth had just latched onto her neck when there was a knock at the door. Both of the Spartans froze and listened, waiting. The knock came again and John groaned. "Every time," he muttered.

Kelly pushed him off a bit and motioned to the bathroom. "I'll handle this." John nodded and moved back into the bathroom, shutting it behind them. There was no need for one of his kids to see him in just a towel.

Kelly moved to the door and opened it, finding Avery standing there with a blanket around him. "What is it sweetheart?" Kelly knelt down so that she could be more at his level, though even then she towered over her son.

"I want some water." Her son reached out and Kelly took his hand. "All right, let's go get you some water." She picked her son up and carried him downstairs. She sat him down at the table and moved over to the cabinet, grabbing one of the plastic cups and filling it with water. Kelly put the lid on it and then moved back to the table, setting it down before her child. She usually would have trusted him without a lid, but he was half asleep, and she wanted to prevent spilling. When he'd finished Kelly moved back over to Avery picking him back up. He snuggled against her and she hummed as she walked up the stairs, hand moving over his back to sooth him.

Avery was almost asleep by the time that they made it back to the child's room. Kelly put him down and he happily curled up in the warmth of his bed. Kelly made sure that Catherine was also soundly asleep before she left her children's room.

Kelly moved back toward her bedroom. Her limbs felt stiff as she walked down the hallway. It had been some time since she'd been able to really relax at all. The problem was that if John wanted to pick up where they'd left off, she didn't think she'd have it in her. Kelly opened the door and was half relieved to see that John had gotten dressed. Kelly moved back over to her side of the bed, fixing the stack that they had knocked over.

Kelly stopped as John moved up behind her. She thought of telling him that she was too tired but didn't get the chance. His hands moved over her eyes and she stood, not understanding what he was doing. "I have a surprise for you."

Kelly felt him guide her and she just went where he pushed her. There wasn't much that she could do to fight him, at least not anything actually violent. They stopped a few seconds later and John lowered his hands. Kelly looked around, confused. They were in their bathroom. "What?"

John motioned ahead of them at the bathtub that was filled with water and suds. "I drew a bath for you." John pulled her back against his chest. "I know you like to soak to relax, and I want you to relax some. You seem tired, and I fear I've been neglecting my husbandly duty to make sure that you are properly taken care of."

Kelly leaned into him, looking back at John. "I really could use a good soak. Too bad it's not big enough for the both of us."

"Well if it was as soon as we got comfortable one of the kids would be knocking at the door, wanting something. But you don't need to worry about that. Take your time. I will take care of the kids when they get home, and when they wake up. I am capable of cooking some basic foods that they like for dinner if you decide you don't want to get out until your entire body is wrinkled." John kissed her cheek and released his arms from around her. His hands pulled her shirt up and stripped it off.

"You really take it literal when you don't want me to do any work." Kelly let him slip off her clothing, enjoying the kisses he would place here and there while he did it.

"I'd put you in the water myself, though I don't think that would work very well. I'm just fairly sure that I would fall over into the water and crack my skull against the tub." John finished and placed one last kiss on her lips. Kelly smiled at him and John smiled back. "I love you, Kelly."

"I love you too, John." Kelly turned toward the tub and stepped in, happily sinking into the warm water. It felt good to just relax for a little while, though she wouldn't spend too much time relaxing or John and the kids might burn down the house. She let her head fall back to lean against the edge of the tub. "I promise I won't be too long."

John shook his head. "Stay in as long as you want. Call for me if you need anything." John smiled down at her and moved to the door. He shut it but she could tell he hadn't locked it. Kelly closed her eyes and just relaxed, wanting to make the most of her time.

Kelly wasn't sure how much later it was that she finally got out and dried off. Her fingers were wrinkled but the rest of her seemed fine so she was sure it wasn't too long. Once she'd gotten dressed she headed down stairs. Kelly stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, taking in the sight that met her. "What are you doing?"

John looked back at her, half of his face coated in flour. "We're making cookies for Jacob's class tomorrow. The assignment is to cook it from scratch, so that's what we're doing."

Kelly sighed and walked into the kitchen. She looked at John and frowned. "You've got a little something." She motioned to her whole face and John smiled at her.

John turned to his son who was sitting at the table with Catherine, fighting over who got to stir the batter. "Do I have something on my face?" Kelly smiled as she watched the kids both try franticly that he had flour on his face and he pretended not to understand.


	151. Flirting

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Flirting**

John sat on the bench in the gym, counting his reps as he did curls. He knew she was watching, she had been for a while, so he was making sure that he was sitting partially sideways on the seat. It would give her a better view, maybe it would entice her to come join him. John wasn't really sure how things were supposed to go with the two of them, though he had been looking into it. They'd been sleeping in the same room for the last two weeks, and John had been trying to attract her closer to him, make her aware that he was still interested in her, but he wasn't sure how he was supposed to do it. From what he'd looked into it seemed that trying to show off his physical looks and make suggestive comments, though the second part was a rather vague idea that he wasn't very sure about.

When their relationship had first started out he'd been the one to start it, sort of. It had taken both of them to get past his nervousness. After their first mission he'd basically been the one that stated he wanted to be with her again, and also with each of the major steps in their relationship, though Kelly had explained that was because he seemed to be prepared for those steps after her. That had been true, she always did seem to be more prepared for the next step of their relationship. Kelly had recovered her sex drive much quicker than John after the implants faded, something he should have been aware of but he only ever realized after the fact. After they'd grown fully and had adjusted to the augmentations the implants hadn't been much use, and at that point Kelly had fully healed. She always seemed to heal better and faster from anything than most other Spartans.

Things were different now than any of the other times, though. This time, it wasn't John who needed to be ready, it was Kelly. She'd only broken up with Fred a little while ago, and he wanted to be sure she was ready for a new relationship before he took action. The best he could think to do was just make her aware that when she was ready, he was. Not that he hadn't tried to do that every night. Sleeping close to her, putting his arm around her, even slipping his hand partially up her shirt a couple times, but he couldn't tell. He didn't really know how to tell when she was ready for a new relationship, she hadn't acted any different since she'd moved into his room. The entire situation felt wrong to him. Even the idea that she'd been with anyone other than him felt wrong, like he couldn't wrap his head around it. It was all the harder to understand that somehow he was supposed to tell when she was ready to be with him again.

"You know the look on your face is ruining the show." John was pulled out of his thoughts to find Kelly straddling the bench beside him. "Instead of annoyed and thoughtful, how about you try brooding and thoughtful."

"You do realize I'm not a model for you to pose and direct. I am a living human being and your superior." John took the smile on her face as the fact that they were teasing. He was still getting the hang of returning teasing, though he'd gotten better. He was willing to devote whatever time he had to into learning to tease if it would better his chances of getting his love back.

"Only in rank," Kelly shot back, but she was still smirking, so it had to be a tease. John wasn't sure if he'd gotten better at reading her, or if she'd been more open with showing that something was a tease in order to help him. That seemed like something she would do, take pity on his inability to get the hang of teasing so she gave him a handicap. "Though you diffidently aren't a model."

John frowned a bit at that, not sure how to take it. Did he take it as her saying he wasn't good looking, or was she trying to complement him about not being a person completely focused on their looks? He frowned, trying to figure out if maybe the first one would be a tease, that she was trying to get him to show off for her or something to prove that he was modeling material, or just wanted to see him model for her. He found that part hard. He could now tell most of the time when she was teasing, and the smirk indicated it might be a tease, but he wasn't sure what response was the one she was looking for.

"You're over thinking things again." John frowned at Kelly's words. "You need to stop treating it like a fight or battle. It's flirting, so just go with it. Don't think, react. Like when I made my last comment, what did you right away think?"

"My first thought was that you were insulting my appearance," John admitted. "I then realized you were teasing me and thought of other options or motives for such a comment. I was trying to decide which of the options were your motivation." John frowned a bit. "I'm still over thinking it, aren't I?" Kelly nodded and John sighed.

"Which of the options you came up with do you want to take?" Kelly watched him as he thought about it. He wasn't sure if she'd be all right with him physically trying to impress her, though he didn't know if he really felt any of the other options were good any more. Kelly sighed and John felt a bit dejected. "The flow has kind of been ruined, honestly. I think we better just drop it."

John nodded and stood up, moving over to the racks and putting the weights away. He glanced back at her and John hesitated for a second before forcing himself to act. If his flirting was going to be more about reaction than thought, then he'd simply take advantage of his thoughts.

John moved over to Kelly and she looked up at him, confused by his actions. He leaned over, moving his head down to her neck. He nuzzled slightly against where her hair met her neck and took a deep breath. He felt Kelly's head move a bit to the side, knowing that she'd enjoyed the contact. He pulled away and she looked a bit annoyed by the action. "You stink," he stated.

Kelly narrowed her eyes, as though trying to read if he was teasing or not. For her benefit he smiled a bit, trying to indicate that he was teasing. "Like you smell all that great." The smirk returned to her face as she understood they'd gone back to flirting.

"Ah, but I get to sleep in my bed smelling however I want to. You, not so much." He moved and she tried to stop him but she'd already let him put his hand on her waist, maybe even without realizing it, so it was easy to pick her up. He put her over his shoulder and she hung there limply, not exactly happy. "You're taking a shower before you even enter my quarters."

"What if I don't want to?" Kelly moved a bit on his shoulder.

"Then I'll make you, even if I have to strip you myself." John was finding a system that she seemed to be enjoying. He came up with several snap of the moment comments, and just chose whichever one he thought would most excite her. The ones that tended to gravitate toward physical contact of intimacy seemed to be the ones she responded to the most.

"Oh, so you're challenging me to be able to keep my clothes on?" Kelly seemed to be moving to try to look at him, though it was useless as all she could see what where they'd been.

"You can fight me on it, but you know I'm going to win." John ran his hand over her leg a bit as they walked. He wanted to get them out of the gym before anyone could see them. He particularly didn't want Fred or Linda to see them. That might end up being awkward, particularly for Fred.

"You do realize that as soon as you put me down, I'm going to make a run for it, right?" Kelly's hands grabbed the waist of his workout pants and tugged on them a bit. "By the way, your butt looks great from this angle."

John ignored the comment about his rear. "You should never tell your opponent your plan. Now I'm just going to have to pin you to the lockers and strip you while I have you pinned."

Kelly was silent and John feared that he'd taken it too far with the last comment. Finally she spoke and he relaxed a bit. "Damn, you're getting good at the whole flirting thing."


	152. Orders

**Pairing: Jai/Adriana**

**Title: Orders**

Jai ran a hand over his head, pacing a bit in the room. "I don't know why I put up with you. You are the most disobedient soldier I've ever known. You run off on your own, you don't listen to orders, half the time you don't even listen to the things I say."

"What were you saying, I wasn't listening." Adriana tilted her head to the side and Jai glared at her. "Oh, it's not that big of a deal, Jai."

"It's not just about this time, Adriana. It's about all the times you never listen to me. I'm the team leader, you're supposed to respect my orders. Can you even tell me one time that you've followed my orders?" Jai was flexing his hands, trying to find a way to relieve his anger.

"Well…I did scout out the enemy like you told me to." Adriana shifted on the bed she was laying on. "So maybe I improvised beyond that."

"Adriana, you got into combat. Now they will know a patrol went missing and they'll be on guard." Jai cross his arms and leaned against the wall. "I don't see why you can't just do what you're told."

"So I don't follow your orders to the 't'. I'm not a sheep, Jai. I'm a Spartan and can think for myself." Adriana sat up on the bed and glared at him. "Would you rather that I blindly followed you?"

"No, that's not what I mean and you know it. I mean can you at least remember the main mission. You go looking for danger and you let your feelings get in the way." Jai moved from the wall and stood by the bed. He stared down at her, looking at the burns on her shoulder. His voice softened a bit as he spoke. "I don't like you taking risks."

"Jai, we're behind enemy lines with no ONI medics or anything. Every fight is a risk. Besides, if I hadn't gone in deeper we wouldn't have known about the three corvette class cruisers that were there. Now we know," Adriana countered.

"But you could have been much more seriously injured. You might not have even come back at all if there had been something worse than jackals with that patrol." Jain moved to sit down on the bed. He moved slowly and Adriana shifted so he had space. Jai sat down and turned so he could still talk to her. "We'd be in worse shape if Mike and I had to do all of this without you."

Adriana sighed and shook her head. "You know you could just say that you don't want me to die because you'd miss me?" Jai looked away from her and Adriana rolled her eyes. She rolled over on the bed, facing away from Jai.

The Gray Team leader looked over his shoulder at her and sighed. "If you were gone I would miss you." Jai lied down on the bed, an arm moving over her waist. "I worry about you when you do stupid things in the field."

Adriana turned so that she was facing him, smiling just a bit. "You would really miss me? What about me would you miss the most?"

Jai paused, trying to decide if she wanted honesty or if she was trying to give him a chance to start up something physical. Jai decided that he would try to be as honest as possible. "I would miss the way you keep me on my toes. The way you remind me that I'm not infallible and that I can make mistakes. I'd miss the way that even when we've just had a hard fight as long as you're around I feel calm." Jai looked into her eyes and smiled a bit. "I'd miss your eyes, and the way they spark when you're teasing me. I'd miss your body and how perfectly it fits with mine."

Adriana's hand moved up to Jai's cheek. "Your tongue won me over. I promise to try to be more careful and follow orders."

"No you don't, Adriana. I know you and I know that you'll still be reckless." Jai placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Though our team works a particular way because of how we all are, so I wouldn't want you to change." Adriana smiled and settled against his chest, her eyes closing as she started to drift off to sleep. Jai just lay awake, hand absently running over his partner's back as he lay on the bed with her.


	153. Elope

**Pairing: Avery/Rosa, John/Kelly**

**Title: Elope**

Kelly smiled down at the little girl sitting at the table. She watched as the child started to color in the orange cat she'd drawn though it was obvious she wasn't very good at staying in the lines. The picture didn't really even look like a cat, but Kelly didn't expect much from a barely three-year-old little girl. Kelly grabbed the empty cup on the table moving over to the sink to rinse it out.

The front door opened and Kelly frowned, John shouldn't be back for a couple hours. Kelly set the cut in the sink and moved toward the door to see who it was. It couldn't be Catherine or Leonard as they were both several weeks away from returning home. She was surprised to find Avery and Rosa in the living room. "You two aren't supposed to be back until after this weekend. What happened?"

"I got some amazing news so we decided to cut our vacation short." Avery was grinning as he moved over to hug his mother.

"What news did you get that would make you cancel the rest of your vacation?" Kelly had never really had a vacation, but she'd never heard of good news being the reason one was cut short.

"Well my book is still waiting to be released but you remember the script I sent to Doctor Who months ago?" Avery was grinning. When Rosa moved to his side he put his arm around her shoulder. "Well they want me to make it into a book. Full canon book for the series."

"That's great news, Avery. I'm so proud of you." Kelly smiled at her son. "I know that working for Doctor Who in some way has always been your dream, though I don't see why you ended your vacation."

"Well, let's just say it hit its high point and we knew it wasn't going to get any better." Avery hesitated for a moment before he continued. "See, the day I got the news I…I proposed."

"Oh, I'm so happy for the two of you." Kelly moved forward and hugged each of the. "So when do you plan on having the wedding?"

"We already did." Rosa's words surprised Kelly. She didn't understand what they meant. "He proposed by taking me to the court house and asking me if I wanted to get married. We got a marriage license right then and there and a judge married us." Rosa lifted her left hand so that Kelly could see the ring.

Kelly put her hands on her hips and frowned at her son. "I can't believe that you didn't wait until you got home to get married. I was looking forward to seeing you two share vows."

"It's all right, we are going to have a wedding here for everyone. I just wanted to make that day the perfect day. I mean I have my dream house, my dream book deal, the only thing I was missing was my dream wife." Avery smiled at his wife and he took her hand. "It just felt like the perfect time to do it."

Kelly sighed and relented. "Well, I can't fault you for being a bit romantic. As long as you have one here I suppose I can't be too mad. Your father and I have been waiting for you to finally get around to asking her. This would only be more perfect if you could also tell me you're going to finally catch up to your sister and have a kid."

Avery frowned and furrowed his brow. "So Catherine is pregnant? Seems a bit soon in her marriage, unless it was from before she got married."

Kelly shook her head. "She adopted a daughter. Still, she has a kid before you two. You should get on that." Kelly frowned suddenly. "I just realized I left a three-year-old alone in the kitchen." She turned and walked toward the kitchen, followed by Avery and Rosa.

Kelly found Shar in the kitchen, standing by the counter, trying to reach up and grab Frankie's tail. The feline was just staring down at the child, moving his tail out of the way as she grabbed for it. The little girl turned to look at them. "Are you sure she's not Catherine's blood daughter?"

Kelly moved over to her and picked her up. "I'm sure. She was orphaned after an attack that Catherine and Leonard had been deployed to. They named her Shar."

"Well hello there, Shar. You are an adorable little thing." Rosa leaned forward and grinned at the child. Shar stared back at her, a blank look on her face. "Why's she here with you?"

"John and I are taking care of her while her parents are deployed. I gave her the room you slept in as a child with Catherine." Kelly shifted so that Frankie could move over to sniff at Shar. She reached out and patted the feline on the head. He was a pretty good sport because he just sat there as she patted him.

"You mean the one you gave fully to Catherine when we were too old to be sleeping in the same room? I hope you took down the posters she never took down." Avery frowned a bit. "When we have a kid were going to cover the walls with poster after poster from the first Doctor to the fifteenth. Oh, we should make the crib look like a TARDIS."

"You already painted the front door of our house TARDIS blue. We are not making the crib look like a TARDIS." Rosa frowned at her husband.

"Fine, but can we have timelord writing on the crib?" Avery pouted and Rosa grinned. "I know you like the way it looks."

Rosa sighed and smiled at Kelly. "Has he always been like this?"

"He's always been this obsessed with sci-fi and Doctor Who. Though when he was young he wasn't so into it that he'd want to cover the walls of his kid's room with posters of it." Kelly laughed at the idea.

"Hey, back then I wasn't interested in having a kid." Avery was right, though Kelly didn't think it really mattered. "If you need any time off from her we can take care of her." Avery pointed to Shar. "After all, a little person like her is the next step for us."

"I'll keep that in mind or when Catherine and Leonard are on long assignment." Kelly moved Shar back over to the table and put the crayon back in her hand. "So do you want me to tell your father? We won't be home for a while."

"That would be a help. I sort of want to properly celebrate my new marriage." Avery grinned and put an arm around Rosa's waist, pulling her to his side.

"Well you two go give me a grandchild." Kelly motioned them off. She followed them to the front door and congratulated one more time before she returned to tending to the young child.

When John got home Kelly was in the kitchen, painting on Shar's cheek. The little girl was giggling happily as her grandmother put the final touches on the image. Kelly looked up as he moved in. "Our son got married." She turned her attention back to Shar's cheek.

John frowned and paused before speaking. "Are you going to tell me which son or should I just start guessing and you'll tell me when I'm right." He moved to his wife and leaned down, placing a light kiss on Kelly's cheek. He frowned as he looked at Shar's cheek. "Are you seriously painting the ODST's kanji on her cheek?"

"It's what she wanted." Kelly didn't look away from her work as she spoke. "Avery's the one that got married. He says that they'll have a wedding up here, but they eloped while on vacation."

John took in the information and then shrugged. "Took him a long time. Was he waiting for Catherine to reach all the milestones before he got around to it?" Kelly laughed and John smiled at her. Kelly knew he really wasn't a fan of her pushing their children but he humored her. "I'm glad to know he finally did it. Did his book finally get put out?"

"Nope, he got a job with Doctor Who writing a book." Kelly moved away from Shar and smiled. "There, all done. Now sit still and I'll take a picture to send to your parents." Kelly grabbed the camera and tried to move it into position. "They also said that if we needed them too they could take Shar for a night or so."

"Good, cause we do have an anniversary coming up." John smiled at her and smiled at Shar. "It looks good. Didn't know you knew how to do the kanji that well."

"Well Catherine used to ask me to put it on things." Kelly took the picture and looked at it. "Your mother is going to be so proud." Kelly smiled at her granddaughter. "Now, why don't you go wash your hands for dinner?" Shar got up from the table and moved out of the kitchen. Kelly stood up and smiled softly. "Remember when we had four of those running around the house, all fighting over who got the sink first."

"Yeah, I remember those days." John put his arm around Kelly's shoulder. "I really don't miss those days." Kelly laughed and moved away from him to the oven to check on their dinner.


	154. Franklin

**Title: Franklin**

John stared at the casket, feeling a great weight in the pit of his stomach. He had never really thought about this day coming, and really he should have expected it to come sooner. The man was far from young. It had been over 30 years since the end of the war. It had been a wonder that the man had lived that far past what had been days that had nearly killed him.

John glanced over at Fred who was taking up his place in line to help carry the casket. Behind him Kathleen stood in a clean pressed marine uniform. Her face was emotionless but John could see a hint of sorrow in her eyes. John looked over the wooden box to where Kelly stood, silent tears running down her face. Linda stood beside him, as cold and emotionless as ever, at least on the outside. Beside her stood Tom. They would all have to carry it lower so that he could reach it at all, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem.

They got their cue and they all grabbed the poles on the sides of the casket and lifted up. They marched in unison, moving up the hill to the plot that had been dug. They placed the casket on the stand over the hole and then moved around to stand with the others. John stood in line with his kids. Glancing toward them as they stood in line beside him. He could see the loss on their faces. They'd known him as a part of their family, and for him to have died was losing a family member. John looked to Sam who was trying to keep himself composed. Jacob hid his emotions, but he knew how much the man had meant to his eldest son and how much pain he must be feeling under that neutral mask. Catherine stood, holding her adopted daughter's hand, leaning a bit against her husband whose arm was around her shoulders to comfort her. Avery's hand was tightly intertwined with Rosa's. Unlike the other children he didn't hide his grief.

John looked to Kelly beside him, feeling her hand lightly brush his. He took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He looked down the line at Fred and Kathleen who stood in line with their own children. The teens, although they hadn't know him well all stood tall, showing the proper respect for the fallen soldier. After them stood Linda and Mark, both showing no emotion, though John noticed the fact that Linda was standing a bit closer to Mark and her hand was gently touching his. Tom had moved beside them, linking hands with Lucy and his daughter. Holly looked on, a bit confused by it all. She was only seven and too young to understand death that well.

John turned his attention to the pastor as the man started to read off some passage from the bible. John wasn't paying attention to that. He was staring at the stone, at that name carved into it. He remembered the man who had bore that name and all that he had done for John.

The stone simply read 'Franklin Mendez, soldier, teacher, and loving father'. The original inscription was supposed to say surrogate, but the Spartans had demanded that they not. To them he was their one and only father. He had forged them into soldiers, into the best they could be, and they had all seen him as a father figure. When the service ended the Spartans headed to John and Kelly's home. They sat around for some time, just talking about the man, about what they remembered of him.

"He was hard as hell on you, but it made it worth it when he finally did praise you. It made you realize that you had done really well, because after all that it made it more rewarding." Tom hugged Lucy to his chest a bit tighter. "Those were always the best days of training. The days you finally got his attention enough for him to give you any recognition" Lucy smiled at him and nodded.

"I sort of took that forceful approach when I was given soldiers to train. I modeled my workout and exercises after the forceful violent ways that he used to toughen us up. Well except for the praising part. I'm not a fan of showing that much approval, just acceptance that something is adequate, but you can see how much it means to a soldier when you put them through hell and show any indication that you're satisfied with them." Kathleen smirked a bit at the memories. "He was a great influence. Still remember the one time I actually got him to say something approving."

John stood from his spot in a chair, moving toward the kitchen. He figured Kelly would need help bringing in drinks for everyone. He moved into the kitchen and found Kelly pouring water and punch for their guests. John moved over to her and leaned against the counter. "Need some help?"

Kelly smiled at him and nodded. John looked over his shoulder as he spotted Catherine nervously approaching them. "Mom, dad." They both turned to look at her and she took a deep breath. "I know this is a sad day and everything, but I felt now was a good time to tell you. I'm pregnant."

A smile spread over Kelly's face as she moved forward and hugged her daughter. "Oh, I'm so happy for you sweetheart. I know you've been trying for some time."

"Thanks, mom. I wanted to tell you guys today because I also wanted to ask if it would be all right that if it's a boy that we can name him Franklin." Catherine smiled at John and he smiled back at her.

"I have no problem with it. Do you have a problem if I tell everyone?" Catherine grinned and grabbed several of the cups. "Let me help you hand these out."

John grabbed a few and Kelly grabbed the plate with the rest of them on them. She held it as John and Catherine handed out the drinks. Once they had them all handed out John called attention. "Today is a sad day. Many of us lost a man that meant so much, that helped make us who we are. But today doesn't have to be a sad day. Eventually all things come to end, and after a long fulfilling life that left us all with good memories, Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez has finally found peace in death. Though at the same time that stories end, new ones begin. I am very proud to announce that there's going to be a new addition to the Mendez family." He looked to Catherine and smiled. "Soon we will happily welcome my dear daughter's second child. I'm not sure about female names, but she says that if it is a boy, she wants to name it Franklin." John raised his cup. "To the cloud that hangs over us for now but the silver lining that reminds us that the sun is still up there and that clouds will pass."

The Spartans raised their glasses and drank. John moved to stand beside Kelly as he watched the others congratulate Catherine and Leonard. John put an arm around his wife's shoulder and she smiled at him, leaning against his side as they watched their daughter.


	155. Blue Two

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Blue Two**

John sat on his cot, reading over the battle toll of the last mission. He wasn't happy with it but at least some civilians had survived. The fighting had gone on for almost a week and the numbers on his data pad confirmed that it had been a hard fight. They'd lost four ships, thousands of soldiers, and another planet. As this war dragged on it felt like they were running out if both.

John's gaze lifted from the pad as another Spartan entered the room. Graceful steps, the way her arm movement was exact so it was the same with each step, and how her fingers were parted just right to be ready for any action they might need to take. All of it made it clear to John it was Kelly inside the armor, though something was wrong. If her visor had been up or her helmet off he knew he'd be able to see the slight down turn of the corners of her mouth or the ever so slight furrow of her brow. Without being able to see her face he had to guess by the way her steps were quick and although most people wouldn't notice but her steps were lazy. Usually her steps were lively, but it looked like she was barely lifting her feet.

Kelly sat down on his cot behind him so their backs were facing. John braced for her weight to fall back against him like always but it didn't come. John could only guess this meant he was in some way at fault for whatever was annoying her. He waited for her to say something as she was never one to hesitate to tell him when he'd done something wrong. She was the only Spartan who would question him or be forward with him at all times. She showed restraint when others were around, but at a moment like this when it was just the two of them she always spoke freely. Either he was wrong about being a part of the annoyance or whatever it was had her more upset than usual.

John stared at the screen though he wasn't reading the words anymore. His mind was fully occupied by the behavior of the woman behind him. Whenever they sat like this she always leaned against him, the only form of physical contact they could manage in their armor without drawing suspicion from anyone that entered the room. The only logical conclusion to her passing up the chance to have contact with him was if she was mad at him but it didn't match with her silence.

He ran through his options in his head. He could ignore her but that didn't feel right. She'd likely been more annoyed later that he didn't confront the issue while they were free to talk, before the long cryo sleep. That and although he'd deny it officially he liked her leaning against him. He'd decided to go with his third option and the most forward approach. "What did I do?"

Kelly didn't answer right away. John worried she was going mute on him. What had the marine called it? The silent treatment. The soldiers had all complained about it and had said it was a weapon all angry women used. Did it mean Kelly was mad? How did he get her to talk to him again? He was sure she'd talk to him in combat, but would she remain silent outside of it? None of the soldiers had ever stated how long it usually lasted.

"Why am I always Blue Two?" John relaxed as she spoke. He didn't even focus on the question at first, just glad to know she was talking to him.

John turned his mind to the actual question. It seemed like a ridiculous question to him. "Because you're my second-in-command. The person I trust watching my back."

Kelly groaned and he could imagine her eyes rolling at how cheesy she found his response. "I mean why am I never Red Leader or Green Leader? Both Fred and Linda are a part of Blue team usually but at times you put them in charge of the other teams."

"Fred and Linda have proven that they are capable leaders. I haven't seen any evidence that you are the same level of leadership and we can't risk trying something like that out while in the middle of a war." As soon as the words left his mouth John regretted them. He had spoken without thinking, without realizing how Kelly would take his words as an insult. He'd basically just told her that he didn't think she was capable of leading.

"Maybe you'd know if I could lead if you ever put me on another team," Kelly snapped. If she wasn't angry at him before she certainly was now. If Fred had said that to her she would have been annoyed but because it was him she was angry. He knew his words meant more to her than any other Spartan and he regretted that he hadn't used those words properly.

John did have to admit she was right. He never put her on any other team, always keeping her close. He'd never really given her the chance to lead. "If you really want it I can put you in charge of another team on the next mission."

There was silence and John wondered what his teammate was thinking. He didn't understand what had brought up this line of questions at all. Why did Kelly suddenly care that she'd never led a team? It was probably some comment made by Linda. Her comments always seemed to cause these sort of confusing conversations.

John heard the helmet release and fall to the cot across from Kelly. "I don't want to be in charge of a team just because I guilt you into it," Kelly muttered.

John paused, deciding on his next move. He set his datapad on his pillow and removed his helmet, placing it beside the datapad. John shifted on the cot so he could look at her. "What do you want?"

Kelly leaned back a bit, placing a hand on the cot and putting her weight on one arm. It annoyed John that she'd rather do that than lean against him. "I want to know why you never put me on any team but yours. Even when Sam was alive I was always on your team."

John flinched at the mention of Sam. It still hurt at times to think of his fallen friend. John pushed that discomfort to the back of his mind. He leaned over, placing his hand on Kelly's hand that was on the cot. He chose his words carefully, realizing that he didn't want another slipup. "Kelly, the thought of putting you in charge of a team has never crossed my mind." Kelly frowned but John cut her off from saying anything. "The thought of putting you on another team has never even crossed my mind. Any time that I'm deciding who will lead what team my first thought is always that you are on my team. Anything else would feel wrong, like no matter what the plan that it would fail without you beside me. I need you watching my back."

Kelly glanced down toward John's hand on hers. She sighed and leaned her shoulder against his. "All right, I've got your back." She smirked and tilted her head to the side. "If I weren't you'd probably get yourself killed."

A smile eased its way onto John's face. "I probably would." He hesitated for a second before leaning toward her, lips touching hers for just a second. "Thanks for keeping me alive." John paused for a second before continuing. "If you want I can make you Green One in the next mission."

Kelly laughed and shook her head. "John, I was never complaining about not being in a leadership position, I just wanted to know why." Kelly's free hand moved up to John's neck and she pulled him a bit closer. "I think we've wasted enough time on talk." With that she pulled him fully to her.


	156. Halloween with the Spartans

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Halloween with the Spartans**

John was not very happy with his costume. He hadn't picked it out of course but he now knew that trusting Linda to pick out costumes was a bad idea. He'd really only let her do it because the Halloween party had been her idea. Still she could have chosen a better costume.

John secured the leather around his shoulders and attached the cape to it. He felt so exposed in the Spartan outfit and wondered how they ever fought in so little armor. From what Linda had told him he was supposed to be King Leonidas of Sparta. He supposed it fit but he still didn't like how little he was wearing.

John picked up the shield and spear and moved out of his room. He hadn't seen Kelly's outfit yet but he feared that Linda would have gotten her an outfit like his. He only hoped she'd given Kelly a bit more cloth to cover herself with. He didn't like how bare his legs were or the fact that there was no shirt for this costume.

John moved out into the hallway and stopped as he spotted Fred. The other male Spartan was dressed in a simple pair of brown pants and carrying an ornate bow. "Who are you supposed to be?" John asked.

"Linda said I was Theseus from a movie called Immortals. At least she gave you a cape. I'm starting to think this party is a trap." Fred seemed very uncomfortable in his costume. "If she offers you anything to drink don't take it. It's probably drugged."

"I'll keep that in mind," John assured him. He frowned as he looked behind Fred. "What are you supposed to be?"

Tom sighed and his shoulders slumped. He was wearing a pair of black pants, a black shirt with a white blotch on the chest of the shirt, a pair of black gloves with claws, a black tail swinging from his belt, and he had a set of cat ears on his head. "Linda said I was a tomcat."

"Yeah, I really don't trust tonight." Fred sighed and moved toward the main commons area. "What do you think she has planned?"

"I don't know but we should be cautious. You know that Linda can have motives that aren't always comfortable for the rest of us." John reached the entrance of the commons room and they found that the women had already gathered and were standing around a table with food on it. John noted that Mark, dressed as some sort of archer was standing nearby, examining a plastic black cat that was sitting on a table.

Lucy was the first one to notice them and she quickly walked over, stopping in front of Tom. She smiled and put her hands on his cheeks. She leaned in and nuzzled her nose against his. Tom blushed at the action and smiled slightly. "I'm so glad I'm the only one that really understands what you just said."

John ignored what had just happened. It was obvious that the action had been just for Tom and he was the only one that understood. John instead turned his attention to the other two women. Linda wore a black suit that fit to her body exactly and he didn't recognize who she was supposed to be. Kelly's costume was what really caught his attention. She was wearing a dress that was made up of very little. There was leather around her neck and waist and the actual cloth only covered the front of her torso in two lines of cloth to cover her breast that met at her waist. From there it went down to about mid-thigh and stopped. She wore simple sandals that he recognized as similar to his own.

Kelly smiled at the him and Fred. "Well, seems to be a theme with the two of you." John had mixed feelings about her reaction to the costume. She eyed up both of them a bit but finally moved over to him. Her hand moved up to his arm and John was aware that she'd positioned herself perfectly so she could touch his skin without Fred seeing. It figures that at all times she's conscious of not causing Fred undue pain or jealousy. "So who are you?"

"I'm supposed to be some king of Sparta," John answered. "Leonidas." John looked Kelly over, not recognizing the dress. He liked it, just didn't know who she was supposed to be. "Who are you?"

"I'm queen Gorgo, of Sparta." Kelly smiled a bit and looked to Linda. "Now I see what you're doing."

"Me? I'm not doing anything." Linda smiled innocently. "I'm just planning a night of fun for a scary holiday. A night of scary movies and costumes."

"The only thing scary about tonight is what secret things you have planned." Kelly wrapped her arms around John's arm and smiled up at him. "Come on, my king, let's go get a good seat on the couch. I am not sitting on the floor." Kelly pulled John toward the couch and he decided not to fight her.

They took their seats with Kelly sitting in the middle of the couch and John on her right. Fred took his seat on Kelly's other side. John put his arm over Kelly's shoulder, a bit of a territorial gesture but she was sitting between two shirtless men whom she'd dated at one time. Didn't hurt to remind Fred of who she was with now. John scowled as at that thought. He had no reason to be possessive of Kelly, she'd made her choice, and he didn't really want to remind Fred that he was alone again.

Linda started up the first movie and they settled in. John didn't recognize it, but then again he didn't watch many horror films. It wasn't a particularly thrilling movie to John. It was obvious to him what the twist was going to be and didn't surprise him when it came. Instead he focused on Kelly who had moved to be leaning back against his chest. This has caused her bare back to press against his bare chest and that was more interesting to him than a movie with a predictable twist.

The second movie started and it didn't go as well as the first one. This movie involved a parasite that infected host and turned them against their friends. John couldn't watch the film. He knew from what little he'd already watched that he was going to have a nightmare later that night so he did what little he could do in order to shield himself from it. He buried his face against her hair and tried to ignore the sounds. He felt her hand move to his head and rub over his hair in an attempt to sooth him. When the movie ended Kelly requested that Linda not put in any more of those. John didn't know how much the others really knew about his nightmares. Kelly knew about them because she shared his bed, had been there when he'd had them.

The last movie was really just a gory movie. It wasn't very frightening as John had seen people die in worse ways. It was a bit morbid to hear Kelly laugh a bit at an almost cartoonish decapitation of a woman. John did admit that it was almost funny but he didn't feel like it was appropriate to laugh at a horror movie death. The last movie John actually liked. It was an old fairy tale that had been reimagined in an inventive way and actually help his attention. It was interesting to see a story he thought he knew surprise him with a twist he wasn't expecting. His mind was too focused on what he already knew of the story to realize that the movie could take it in a different direction. A part of him was annoyed with the fact that he'd let himself get too comfortable with the way the story usually went to miss the twist, like thinking he knew how an enemy would attack and missing the fact that they would think out of the box as much as he could.

When the last movie finished Tom carried Lucy back to their room since the woman had fallen asleep during the movie. The rest of the Spartan IIIs left for their own rooms, leaving only the Spartan IIs. They sat around for a bit and discussed the movie choices. "I thought that the first one was all right. Didn't really surprise me," Fred said.

"I thought it would just be a good start. I didn't know the second one was going to be a problem. I had had another one lines up that was sort of like it but I didn't want to cause anyone any problems." Linda looked to Kelly as she had been the one that requested that there be no more of the parasite movies.

John spoke up, not afraid of his friends knowing about what troubled him. "I don't like movies like that. They remind me of the Flood. It brings up bad memories." Kelly put her hand on his knee, letting him know that she knew how bad of memories it brought up. He knew she was aware that he'd be having another nightmare that night.

"Well, if I'd known I wouldn't have put it in," Linda assured him. "None of us had to deal with the Flood so I didn't know that it stuck with you like that."

"I know, Linda. I'm not mad about it or anything, I know I didn't tell either of you about it but I didn't realize that the movie would bring up those memories." John's hand moved over Kelly's side in an attempt to distract himself.

"I think we should go to sleep," Kelly suggested. She stood up and John followed her. Fred decided to go so sleep as well while Linda opted to stay awake and clean up.

John followed Kelly back to their room, sticking close. "I liked that last movie. It was well done and used established knowledge of the story to make the twist a surprise."

Kelly smiled back at him and slowed down so that she could put an arm around his waist, being sure to slip her arm under his cape. "It was well done, and it was visually pleasing. The dialogue was also very good."

They entered their room and John wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to go to sleep, knowing that the nightmare would be waiting for him. Kelly lead him over to the bed and had him sit down. John watched as she got out nightwear for both of them and set them down on the bed. She then removed his cape and put her hands on his knees. She leaned toward him and smiled. "I know you don't want to have the nightmares, John."

John's hands moved to her sides and pulled her body toward him. She moved to sit on his lap and John held her against him. "You'll be there when I wake up?"

"You know I will be, John." Kelly placed a light kiss on his head and rubbing her hand over her back. "I'll always be there for you, John."

John released her so that she could remove her costume and get dressed in her night clothing. John removed his own costume and got dressed, still not looking forward to sleeping. He waited until Kelly laid down before joining her. He wrapped his arms around her as soon as he was settled in, burrowing his face against her shoulder. Her hand moved over his back, giving him something to focus on. He thought of nothing but the hand on his back until he found asleep.


	157. News

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: News**

Kelly sat in the waiting room, trying not to think about what she was about to do. She felt sick, but that wasn't really all that new as she hadn't been feeling well for a while. This was why she was here. She was scared like she'd never been before. No Spartan had ever been sick like this, and she was afraid it was signs of something bad. Maybe there were unforeseen reactions in the body to the augmentations that took decades to develop.

Kelly's fingers fiddled with the ring on her left hand ring finger. What if this changed all their plans? What if they couldn't get married? There were still several months until they planned to have the wedding and in that time she might be dead. What if the family they wanted, the future they had planned would never happen? Did she really go through the entire war, end up with all these scars, lost friends, and painful memories just to die from some defect or illness? Kelly suddenly felt sick, though this time it was more from her fears. No wait, maybe she was just feeling sick. She stood from the seat and moved down the hallway toward the women's restroom, moving into a stall. There wasn't really anything in her stomach to vomit up so she could only dry heave over the toilet for a few minutes until her stomach calmed down.

Kelly still wasn't sure what it was that had made her feel sick. She sat on the floor just catching her breath. She wished that John were there with her. He'd been great to her when she'd been ill at home. He'd sat with her, gotten her water, and soothed her when she was scared. She could really use him right now, use his comfort. He couldn't be here thought. He'd been scheduled to meet with a captain or something, at the moment Kelly couldn't think too straight. She felt a bit nauseous again and she was just trying not to move back to the toilet again.

The urge to vomit passed and she got up slowly, moving back to the waiting area. There was a medic standing there and he looked relieved to see her. "I was a bit worried, ma'am. I thought you'd left. If you'll follow me I'll take you to see the doctor." Kelly nodded and the medic led her into the examination area.

John moved into the room that he shared with Kelly in the Spartan barracks. They were having a house built, but it would be some time before it was finished and they could move in. He frowned as he realized that Kelly wasn't there. He wondered where she was, maybe she was still with the doctor. That thought worried him. He had no idea what was making her sick and the thought of it being something bad made him scared. Kelly had voiced her fears on how bad it could be and he was worried that whatever it was might take her from him.

John changed out of his uniform and into more casual clothing. He hadn't been able to focus on what they'd been talking about during the meeting. His mind was elsewhere and he really would have rather changed the time of the meeting but Cortana had been insistent on when it had to be. It annoyed him all the more when the General had realized he was distracted and offered to have the meeting at another time. He would have put it off and been there for Kelly if he'd known that he could change the time.

John moved out of the room to look for his fiancé, needing to know how things went. He stopped when he smelled something in the air. He moved into the commons area and found Kelly standing by the stove, cooking. John moved over to her, gently placing a hand on her waist to get her attention. Kelly looked back at him and he lightly kissed her cheek. He looked down at what she was cooking. "You don't usually cook." Kelly didn't say anything so John continued. "Either you've got good news and want to celebrate or you have awful news and want to soften the blow."

Kelly sighed and looked back at him. "John, please. I'm trying to focus enough not to vomit on our food. I don't need questions or theories."

John's hands moved to hers, forcing her to put down the utensils. "Go back to the room and lay down. I can take care of this and I'll be in shortly with dinner." Kelly tried to protest but he pulled her toward the door and pushed her a bit. Kelly glared at him for the use of force but reluctantly left. John moved back to their food, finishing up the cooking, at least knowing enough about the task not to burn the food.

John carried the two plates from the commons room down to the room he shared with Kelly. When he got inside he saw that she'd gotten out the table they used for private meals and the fold up chairs. He set the plates down and moved over to the bed where Kelly was lying, partially curled up. John moved over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Kelly's eyes opened and turned to look up at him.

"Are you feeling all right?" John asked, moving a bit so that she could roll onto her back. She finally nodded and John helped her to stand up and move over to the table. She seemed steady on her feet, but she allowed his contact. They sat and ate in silence for some time, not really unusual but the silence wasn't comfortable like usual, it was filled with John's fear and Kelly's reluctance to speak. John didn't ask about the doctor's, not yet, didn't want to push it before she was ready. He didn't want to spoil dinner by doing anything that might upset her.

"We should move the wedding closer." John was surprised when Kelly spoke. Her voice was quiet and she wasn't looking at him, just staring down at her food. "Latest would best be next month, sometime then."

"Why?" John didn't really want to know the answer. A month? Why a month? Fear set in and his mind went through all the scenarios that would cause her to want to move it forward that far. He didn't like most of them. "We can move it to whenever you want, Kelly. The only thing that matters to me is that we have our day."

Kelly nodded putting her fork down and pushing her plate away. "The smell is making me sick again." She closed her eyes, putting a hand over her mouth.

John took her plate and his own, moving out of the room. He set them on the counter in the commons room, figuring he could come out and clean up after he'd taken care of Kelly. When he got back to the room she was sitting on the bed, hunched over a bit. "Are you all right, Kelly?"

She nodded slightly. "It's just the smell of cooked beef. It's making me feel awful." Kelly looked over as John sat down beside her. "I know you've been holding back. Just ask."

John's hand moved to settle on Kelly's back gently running up her spine in an attempt to soothe her. "How did things go with the doctor? What did you find out?"

Kelly smiled a bit and John felt some of his fear evaporate. There were still doubts, but a smile was a good sign. "Well, the doctor found out why I've been sick. Though he says we're healthy."

John caught the word and leaned toward her a bit. "We?" Kelly's smile widened and John didn't know what to say. Any words just didn't seem to be worthy of the moment. John finally found his voice. "You're pregnant?"

Kelly nodded as her hands moved to her stomach. "We're going to have a family. The doctor said that he still wanted to check up on the baby but that so far it seemed like there was nothing out of the ordinary. We can't tell people though." John frowned, not liking that news. "It's just they aren't sure how the development is going to go for a Spartan so they want to keep an eye on the progression for the first couple months to be sure that nothing goes wrong and then we can tell people."

John pulled Kelly against him and she leaned into his chest. "For now it's enough to know that you're okay and that we're going to be a fully family soon." He closed his eyes, letting the relief wash over him. He was glad that he would still have her, that they were soon going to be starting the family he'd envisioned in his dream only about two years before.


	158. Draco III

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Draco III**

John removed the last of his clothing, putting it away in his locker before he grabbed his towel. He didn't like being out of his armor, particularly after everything that had happened on their last mission. He felt like he needed a barrier, something to protect him from the world around him. He remembered the civilians being rounded up, the jackals and grunts descending, and the remains that they'd found. John hated to think of those people. Of the horrors they went through. He tried to just push the thoughts away.

He instead focused on what was around him. He could hear the water already running so he wouldn't be alone in the showers. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. He didn't know if he was all that interested in being alone at the moment. He moved around the wall that separated the lockers from the showers and frowned at the person standing under the water. She was just standing there, staring at the wall before her.

John moved over to the woman, his hand hesitantly rising. He wasn't sure how aware she was or how she'd react. His hand finally settled on her shoulder and John tried to move back. He was nowhere near as fast as her and her elbow caught him in the side. He flinched as she hit where he was already bruised his hand moved to his side as he stepped back, out of her reach.

Her looked turned from one of anger to surprise. "I'm sorry, John." She took a step toward him, hand lightly resting on his side. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

John shook his head. "You just elbowed a large bruise. Nothing major." Kelly smiled a bit and he was glad. He didn't joke much, but she could tell when he was trying to be less serious. "Are you all right? You were just standing there. You didn't hit your head or anything on that last mission?"

Kelly shook her head, eyes turning away from him. "I was just thinking. I guess I got lost in my thoughts." She refused to look at him and John knew that she was hiding something from him.

"You want to tell me what you were thinking about?" John moved his hand so that it was on hers. A slight gesture that would indicate to her that he was here for her. At least he hoped that was how she would take it.

Kelly took another step toward him, leaning a bit forward to place her cheek against his chest. John's arms moved around her. He'd never enjoyed the feel of her skin so much. He needed her comfort, something to distract him from the still fresh memories of the civilians. He focused fully on the way that she felt in his arms, allowing his mind to find some peace for a moment. Until Kelly spoke.

"I was thinking about the people on the planet." John held Kelly a bit tighter as she spoke. He didn't want to think about that, but if she wanted to talk about it, he wouldn't turn her away because of his discomfort. "I wish we could have done something. We should have been down there, trying to save them, not watching from orbit."

John had had the same feelings when they'd found the civilians. "There wasn't anything we could have done. The only thing we could have done was been there in time to watch them pick at the last of the bones before moving on. There wasn't enough time." John held her tighter, trying to reinforce those words in his own mind. "We did what we could, what we were ordered to do.

Kelly closed her eyes and John felt her hands ball into fists against his chest. "How many times? How many times will we have to find civilians like that? How many times will we be too late to do anything to save the innocent?"

"More times than either of us will like." John closed his own eyes, focusing as much as he could on the woman in his arms to keep his mind from traveling back to those memories. He knew in time they would fade and he'd deal with them, but right now they were still so fresh. "Still, there will be those times where people can be saved. We have to focus on those times."

Kelly moved her arms up so they were around John's neck, rising up a bit to place a light kiss on John's jaw. "All right, I'll try to keep my mind off of it." John felt one of her hands move up his neck a bit to the edge of his hairline. "Well you've made me feel a bit better. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

John's first instinct was to tell her that he was fine, but he stopped himself. He knew she'd know better, know he was bothered. "You can help me in the way only you can." John closed the space between them. Time with Kelly wouldn't erase the memory, but it would give him something good to focus on and block out the bad.


	159. Last Time

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Last time**

John stared up at the ceiling of the private quarters that he was 'borrowing' to get some peace and quiet. His mind was filled with thoughts of the mission they'd recently been given. Red Flag as it had been called. There was just so much information that was only guess work and a lot they didn't know. John did like it at all. There was so much he'd have to decide as he went along and that would lead to snags. He couldn't even start to make anything other than lose plans until they had a disabled Covenant ship.

He closed his eyes, hoping to clear his mind. He focused on the breaths that spread over his neck each time his bedmate would exhale. It didn't work, only making his thoughts turn to how he and the woman had lower odds of surviving this mission than any Spartan mission before. He hugged her a bit tighter, only loosening his grip when she stirred a bit. He wanted to allow her some peaceful sleep, maybe the last they'd ever get for all he knew. If he could only manage some sleep.

John's hand moved over her back, fingers tracing the line of her spine. It was just one more attempt to turn his thoughts to nicer, more peaceful things. The action disturbed the sleeping woman enough that even when he stopped as she stretched and her eyes opened.

Her clear blue eyes examined him as she pulled herself up a bit. Her lips touched his and he didn't hesitate to return it. For all he knew each kiss could be the last and he wasn't going to let a single chance pass him by. Kelly pulled back frowning a bit at him. Had he been too eager for the contact, given away his concerns?

"You need to sleep, John." Kelly shifted off of him to lie on the bed beside him. John moved to hold himself partially over her, leaning down to place a kiss on her jaw. "I'm serious."

John ignored her, moving to pin her hips down with the weight of his body. He lowered his head to kiss lightly at her neck, waiting for any sign that she was willing. He wasn't expecting it as her hand moved to his hair but instead of pulling him closer she pulled his head away from her. John didn't know quite what to do. Kelly had never rejected his advances before.

Her eyes showed that she was concerned even before she spoke. "What's wrong?" John cursed himself. He never should have made the first move but he didn't want to risk that she wouldn't make a move. He should have known she would be tipped off to his fears as he was never the one to initiate any sort of affection that might lead to intercourse. It was an odd enough action that she'd realized the truth right away.

John wasn't sure what to tell her. He wasn't sure in confiding in her about his fears would lessen her own resolve on their mission. He decided to go with the half-truth. "I'm just thinking that it will be a long time until you and I can be like this again. For the mission we'll be in our armor all the time." He shifted his weight so he could lift one of his hands, gently running the back of his fingers against her upper arm. "We have no idea how long this mission might last."

Kelly frowned at him and the way her brow furrowed indicated she was annoyed. "I wish you'd stop trying to lie to me."

John sighed to himself. He should have known better than to try to lie at all to Kelly. She read him too well and there was no way he could keep something this big from her. "I'm worried about all the missing information and the holes in information make me wonder if we'll even come back alive."

One of Kelly's hands moved up to his cheek, gently running over his skin. "That's what's keeping you awake?" John nodded. "Well it's a reasonable worry. There's so much that we don't know and it's reasonable for you, as our squad leader, to be worried about all the problems that might cause."

John's hand moved up to gently hold the hand Kelly had put on his cheek. He moved it to his lips where he placed a light kiss on the palm of her hand. "I'm worried about the safety of my team. You are all going to be trusting me to insure that the mission is a success and you get out alive."

"John, you need to relax. You're worrying far too early. Wait until we get on the ship to start worrying." Kelly smirked at him. "Besides, I have complete faith that even without planning you'll see us through. You're you and we're Spartans. Those Prophet things better start quacking in their boots because we're coming for them. If they ware boots that is."

John couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. Kelly was always confident, sure that the Spartans would win. It was what made her moments of doubt more shaking to John but moments like this also helped him reassure himself that they could win. Kelly believed in him which was all he usually needed. He wasn't sure if it would be enough this time. There was a lot riding on this mission. The lives of Spartans he hadn't even seen let lone commanded for years.

"You still need to sleep, John." Kelly's free hand moved to his neck pulling him down so his head could rest on her shoulder. "You can't think properly if you're tired."

John let his full weight settle on her and he tried to relax. One of his arms wrapped around her torso and the other snaked up under her shirt. Still the warmth and affection as she ran a hand over his back weren't enough to lull him to sleep. He just kept thinking of how this could be the last time, last chance. He pulled himself up a bit and his mouth moved to her neck. His hand moved higher up her shirt as he once more tried to indicate his willingness.

Kelly's hand once more moved to his head but this time she didn't pull him away. Her fingers slid into his hair, letting him do what he wanted. "I thought I told you to get some sleep."

John shifted his body to line up more with hers. If she didn't push him away now then he'd assume she was agreeing to his advances. Not that he wouldn't stop at a moment's notice if she told him to. "I can sleep after," he grumbled, not wanting to move to far from her skin.

Kelly's hand gripped his hair and her let out a grunt if frustration as she pulled him a bit back from her neck. "Only if you promise to get some sleep after."

"I promise," John replied. Kelly released her grip on his hair and he eagerly claimed her lips. He couldn't fully put his concerns to rest but the least he could do was face the upcoming mission with no regrets.


	160. Forward unto Dawn Part VI

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Forward unto Dawn Part VI**

Kelly sat on her cot, cleaning her rifle carefully. The last mission hadn't gone all that well and she was trying to keep her mind off of exactly how badly it had gone. The Covenant had killed almost everyone on the planet, only three people having survived. Still, it could have been worse. John had gone off to retrieve the survivors while she had secured their escape. They almost lost all the survivors, and Kelly had almost lost John. It was never safe for a Spartan to take on a hunter on his own, and John had done it to try to save the survivors.

John moved into the barracks, moving to his cot beside hers. They always sat so that they could face each other. It wasn't that they really did it on purpose, just that it was habit. Kelly watched him as he checked over the repaired plate of his armor. She opened a private channel with him so they could speak openly. "Going to tell me what's got you upset?" She'd known it as soon as he'd refused to leave the survivors. Three people weren't worth his life, not to mention the way he'd acted at the end of the mission. He'd been tense, distant, and his actions toward the one cadet had been unusual.

John watched her for a moment before speaking. "It's against regulation to take off your helmet before fully being out of a combat situation."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "I usually take my helmet off on the pelican ride back. You've never gotten mad about it before. Now, either answer the question or I'll start scolding you about not taking me with you." Kelly set her rifle to the side. "I could scold you for a good couple hours about you shouldn't run off without me because bad things happen where you need backup."

John paused again and Kelly could tell he was trying to decide how to respond. "I needed you to secure the pelican. If I got them out we needed a way off, and you were who I trusted to do that."

"No," Kelly snapped. "Fred could have just as easily secured the pelican and you could have taken me. It wasn't a job for more than one Spartan. If you'd taken me with you we could have saved all of the survivors, maybe even been able to get there faster and save more." Kelly leaned forward a bit, putting her forearms on her knees. "If I had been there we could have taken down that hunter with ease, and the cadet wouldn't have to have put himself in danger. I could have been your rabbit like I'm supposed to. That girl wouldn't have died because we would have been able to protect her and move faster."

John's head lowered and she could tell that her words had hit a sore spot. "Is that what has you upset? The girl dying?" Kelly didn't understand that. They'd watched a lot of people die due to the Covenant, why did this one matter?

John looked away from her shaking his head slightly. "It was because of the other cadet. The one that was nearly killed by the hunter." His gaze returned to her and his hand twitched, fighting the desire to reach out to her. There were other Spartans in the barracks so it wouldn't be appropriate and he held back. "When the girl died he was heartbroken. He'd been doing so well until that point, and the panic he showed when he realized she was hurt." John's fist clenched a bit. "Sometimes I understand why it is that relationships aren't allowed."

Kelly flinched a bit at his words. She was aware he sometimes had doubts about them allowing themselves to be in a relationship but it still hurt to hear him voice those doubts. She didn't say anything, not knowing what to say. She'd learned a while ago that it was better to say nothing in these situations. It prevented him from saying more painful thing on accident and saved them time.

John must have notice her flinch. "I'm not second guessing anything," he clarified. Kelly relaxed a bit, at least glad he wasn't rethinking them being together. "They weren't trained like us. We can put aside our emotions for the mission, but normal soldiers can't. That girl meant a lot to him, and when she died he became reckless. He decided to play rabbit without my agreement. I was going to take care of it alone but he distracted it for me. It was a reckless thing for him to do and could have killed him. I know he wouldn't have done that if she'd still been alive."

Kelly smiled behind her helmet. "Well then I'm glad he did such a stupid thing. Maybe the woman he loved was gone, but he helped save the man I love. If you'd fought that hunter alone with no weapon and only a grenade then you might have died, or at least would have been badly injured."

John didn't reply, just watched her. She wasn't sure exactly what was going through his head. It was obvious he was thinking as he was holding still, watching her intently. If his helmet was off she'd be able to tell more what he was thinking but with the reflective visor between them she couldn't get any hint to what was on his mind.

"What was with that rock, anyway? The thing that you gave the cadet on our way off the planet." Kelly hadn't even been sure what it really was. She'd only seen him pass it to the young man.

"It was a bit of hunter armor from the one he helped me kill. I thought he would like a memento of it. He did well, acted like a true soldier. It's also the day he lost someone important to him." John depolarized his visor and Kelly could see his face. There was a thoughtful and sad look in his eyes. "I've felt the fear of losing you, and I understood how he felt." John flexed his hands a bit but his gaze didn't move from her. "I worry that one day I won't be able to separate my emotions. Is the emotion worth the possible pain with a dangerous job like ours?"

"It's important for a dangerous job like ours," Kelly answered. "We can say that the reason we fight is for humanity, but what does that really mean? When you think of why you fight, what do you think of?"

John furrowed his brown and thought. "I think of the survivors on the planets, of the soldiers that fight to try to save people, of the other Spartans, and of you."

Kelly depolarized her own visor so he could see her smile at him. "When you think of why you fight each battle, during the battle, what do you think about? Why do you fight?"

"Survival is a natural reaction. I don't think about it, my consciousness demands it," he answered. He looked away for a moment and then back to her. "Though when I think of what I have to survive for I think of the other Spartans and you."

"I don't know about you, John but for me humanity is a big thing. Hard to really get motivated to put myself in danger for. If this were a fight where distancing ourselves from what we are fighting for would be an ideal then just fighting for humanity, but it's not enough. We have to fight to save every person, for humanity, but we need more motivation than just that. For me having a face I can think of when I think of what I'm fighting for it makes me fight stronger, with more purpose. It's a bit harder to be motivated for humanity as a whole, but each time I go out there and fight I can think of the man I love. Know that I'm fighting for him."

John polarized his visor again and Kelly frowned, missing being able to see her face. She polarized her own visor. He remained silent and Kelly accepted the fact that he wasn't going to continue the conversation. She just wanted him to know that he was her motivation, and that would be enough. If thinking of humanity in an abstract sense for him then that was his choice. The silence settled over them and Kelly was left figuring out what she could do to fill her time.

Kelly was a bit surprised when John spoke. "I promise that I won't run off alone if I can help it. I'll always take someone with me."

Kelly let out a long breath. It wasn't exactly the promise she wanted, but it would have to do. "All right, though I hope that it will be me you take with you. After all I fight for you, I'd like to insure that you survive."

Kelly could tell that John wasn't exactly happy with her words. "The mission always comes first. If I have to die for a mission to succeed—"

"Then I would die instead," Kelly cut in. John's fist clenched. She wasn't sure it if was because she was insinuating that he meant enough to her she'd sacrifice herself for him or if he didn't like her cutting in. Kelly didn't know which it was but she decided to assume it was the former and countered it. "Logically speaking you are leader of the Spartans. For the mission my life is more expendable than yours. If someone needs to be sacrificed then it should be me. You'll need to lead the team."

John's hands relaxed and Kelly guessed that she'd chosen correctly. John nodded. "Logically you are correct." His voice was relaxed and Kelly smiled. John stood up and Kelly watched him. "Logic isn't everything," he added. John turned and walked toward the door, heading off to do something, though Kelly wasn't sure what. She stood up as well and decided to head to the labs, see if she could get a new helmet. The one she'd had on her last mission just didn't suit her.


	161. Halo 4 Epilogue

**Pairing:John/Kelly**

**Title: Halo 4 Epilogue**

**Warning: This story contains spoilers for Halo 4, particularly the end of the game. If you haven't finished the game and don't want any of it ruined, do not read until you have finished the campaign. **

John stared down at the Earth below. He'd never really appreciated it from a distance, but he'd been rather busy the last time he'd been at Earth and hadn't really had the time to look. It was beautiful when he looked at it. His home was gone, Reach nothing more than a ball of glassed land. Now this was the closest thing to home that he had. At least this was the planet he could call home. He didn't think of Earth though when he thought of home. He didn't think of a planet at all.

John heard boots on the observation deck behind him and he willed the person to leave him alone. He remembered the man from long ago, and understood that soldiers sometimes seemed to get attached to him as the leader of the Spartans or the Spartan that destroyed a Halo but he really didn't want to play the famous hero at the moment. He'd been through a lot and just lost a close friend. He figured he was a bit entitled to want to be left alone.

The person didn't leave, just stood in silence. He was glad he was at least being left with his thoughts. He remembered the hard fight he'd had with Cortana, and how he should have seen the rampancy coming much earlier on. Maybe they could have done something about it. Then he wouldn't know how he'd have survived against the Didact. John tried to keep his mind just focused on how he felt about what had happened and deal with it but he kept wondering about the person behind him. John frowned behind his visor and decided that it was bothering him too much. "I'd like to be left alone."

The person took a few steps closer and stopped. "I'll go if you want me to," the woman said. Her voice echoed through the observation deck. From the sound she was only a couple steps behind him.

John turned around, being sure to move slowly. He didn't want to be too eager in case he was mistaken and he wanted to control his emotions. He knew that at the moment he might be emotionally compromised and it might make him react unusually. He didn't want her to worry because he was acting odd. He was now facing her and he knew it was who he had guessed. She wore a sleeker version of the armor he'd seen the Spartan IVs wear and he noticed that a small white rabbit had been painted onto the breast plate. "Kelly? I thought you were someone else."

She shrugged and she had a way of making the act look so graceful and perfect. "Sorry to disappoint. I can still leave if you want me to." She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one leg.

John shook his head. "I want you here." He shifted a bit, not knowing where to start. There were so many things in his head, words he wanted to say, and he had no idea which to start with. No words seemed right, not sentiment enough for what he needed to express. He wished at the moment that he had her skill with social things so this could be easier. "I…"

"Calm down, John." Her hand rose up and rested hand gently on his chest plate. She removed it and put her hand on his neck, still seeming unsatisfied. "I was just teasing you. I know that you didn't mean to try to force me away." She took her hand back and let it fall to her side.

"No one told me you were here." John didn't know what to do. He wanted to remain the proper Master Chief she knew but at the same time he wanted to hug her and spill out all the things in his mind. He decided that it was best to remain proper. They were aboard the ship and within Earth's orbit so it would be likely that an AI could be watching them. "I wasn't even told that you were alive."

"Well my ship arrived a bit before yours. I can assure you that we are alive, and busy." Kelly moved to stand beside him. John turned to face her, watching the female Spartan. "I just came back from a mission taking care of an uprising rebellion on one of the few planets we still have."

John scowled behind his visor. "I still find it hard to believe there are still rebellions." John had hoped that in the wake of the war the rebels would have realized that fighting still was just harming humanity. "What was the mission?"

"It was just the normal one for Rabbit Company," Kelly answered. John tilted his head to the side, confused. "We hit the enemy fast and hard and then run off. Any enemies that follow get hit by a waiting ambush."

John nodded, getting the idea. "How have Fred, Linda, and Will been?" The last thing he'd known they had gone on some mission but he didn't know much else.

"Will died on Onyx, the planet Halsey took me to. Linda is training snipers for the Spartan IVs who specialize in assassinating targets. Fred is off with his company. They are a stealth group that deals in clearing out entire buildings without firing a shot. None of us have been very pleased with what passes for a Spartan with the Spartan IVs. We pick and select them from the main groups, looking for the same sort of thing that we saw in each other when we were training. Then we pull them out and start to train them. Our requirements are much more strict than the basic program."

"I met their Commander. I'm not sure what I think of her." John wasn't sure if he really liked Palmer or not. She was a tough woman and she was cold but she was a competent soldier. John wasn't even sure about the quality of the Spartan IVs. He'd fought alongside them but it hadn't felt like fighting alongside Spartans. "How did the mission go?"

"Mission successful, few injuries, and no casualties," Kelly answered. "I train my soldiers so that they don't' die when things get difficult. It's as close as I can manage to having actual Spartans under my command." Kelly looked out toward Earth one last time before she turned to John. "I read the report about what happened on Requiem. I'm sorry, John. I know that she meant a lot to you. I've worked with a Smart AI in the past years, and I take back what I said about them."

"Cortana was a good friend, and I will miss her, but she wasn't herself in the end." John wasn't sure what more to say. He felt like she wasn't the right person to talk to about Cortana. He stared at the visor of her helmet, able to envision the worried eyes that stared back at him. "Do you remember our conversation?"

Her head tilted to the side. "Which conversation? We've had a lot of them. You're going to have to be more specific."

"The one where you explained why people are wrong about Spartans being machines." She nodded, indicating she knew the conversation. "Before we made our run to stop the Didact Cortana made me promise to figure out which of us was the machine." John struggled to find the correct words. He had hoped that they would just come, but that had never been the case for him. He always seemed to be bad at coming up with words on the spot. "For a time I lost sight of my humanity, and I was more machine than man."

John's hands reached out and gently took hers, holding them loosely. "You were wrong once." Her head tilted to the side, curious, or maybe she was just confused by the way his words seemed to have no direct connection. He knew she'd be patient, get the meaning in the end and understand where his mind was going. "We don't need someone to fight for in order to be motivated. We need someone specific to fight for to be human. You were taken from me and I didn't have a person I was fighting for. I lost sight of my humanity when I lost you." John ran his thumb over her fingers even though he couldn't feel her skin through their armor. The action still calmed him and helped him be calm. "I missed you, Kelly."

Kelly's hands gently squeezed his. "John, permission to partake in an extreme show of emotion?" John hesitated but nodded, trusting her not to do too much, even with them in armor. Kelly reached up and removed her helmet, reaching back and attaching it to the back of her armor. She openly smiled at him and he tilted his head, wondering if that was it. He was caught off guard when her arms wrapped around his neck in a tight hug. It was an extreme show of emotion for a Spartan but John welcomed it. His arms wrapped around her and they stood in silence for almost a minute. "I missed you too, John."

She pulled back and John released her enough that she wasn't tight against him but his arms could still be around her waist. She leaned up and placed a kiss on his helmet where his mouth would be. John removed his hands from her and reached up and removed his helmet. He let it fall to the floor, his hands moving to Kelly's cheeks and holding her face in place as he brought their mouths together in a almost desperate kiss. They clung to each other as they kissed.

They only broke apart when they needed breath but John didn't let her move too far away. He took deep breaths and the words just spilled from his lips without a moment of hesitation. "I love you, Kelly."

Kelly pulled a bit away, her face showing her surprise. "You mean it?" Her grip on his armor tightened a bit as she waited for his response.

"Kelly, I have always loved you." John ran his thumb over her cheek and a smiled tugged at his lips. It wasn't much but Kelly would be able to see it as though he had a full grin on his face. "I'm sorry I never had the courage to tell you before."

Kelly let her head move to the side, pressing more against his hand. "You told me at all, that's what matters." She leaned against him and his hands moved from her race to wrap around her waist again as they hugged.

John let his head rest against hers, enjoying the feel of her hair against his skin. He forgot how much he missed such simple contact. He was sure that he could spend the rest of his life right here. He was tired and he wanted nothing more than to just stay frozen in this moment, holding the woman he loved the calm peaceful silence of the observation deck.

Kelly had other ideas. She pushed away from him a bit and he frowned. "You should probably get down to the planet. They can get you out of that armor, you can get cleaned up, and get some rest." Kelly leaned down and picked up his helmet. "There's a lot of other things we need to catch up on."

John took the helmet when she offered it. "There's a lot of other kinds of catching ups we need to do. It's been almost five years." John smirked a bit. "I'm sure that you've missed me in many ways." Kelly smiled back at him and he slipped his helmet on. She slipped on her own and he followed her through the ship. "You should get out of that armor and get some rest. I have to make my report to several people and you should have the time then to get some sleep."

John frowned behind his visor. "I was hoping you'd stay with me," he admitted.

"Duty comes first, Johnny, you know that." There was a rather pleased tone to her voice. "Besides, this way you can be rested for what I have in mind." John nodded, accepting the logic and the fact that their duty was still to come first.

"Just don't take too long. I'd like to get in touch with my humanity again." John did fear deep down that if she spent too much time away he might lose sight of it to a point he would never get it back. He was confident though, that Kelly would never be allowed to far away for too long in the future. "I love you, Kelly."

"I'll meet up with you as soon as I can," Kelly assured him. Her hand brushed his lightly for just a fraction of a second. "I love you too, John." They went their separate ways, Kelly heading to give her report while John made his way to the hanger.

Author's note: So I've finished Halo 4 and I have plans to do a version of it with Blue team in it. I've also been wondering if people are interested in me doing a rated M series, basically going on past where my stories tend to end. I'm considering this in an effort to please all of the SpartanxSpartan lovers out there. Just tell me if you're interested in either of these ideas.


	162. Ride

**Pairing: Kelly/John**

**Title: Ride**

John moved through the collection of vehicles, looking over each one. The base had gotten in some of the new vehicles and he was inspecting them. The Mongoose had been made sleeker but they didn't matter much to John. He only ever used mongoose to pass a threat quickly and their redesign didn't affect that. The tanks had been improved, given better armor to deal with the plasma fire from the Covenant.

None of it would really do them any good on their upcoming mission. A tank wouldn't help them steal a ship but maybe one of those Sabre ships they'd been show would. John doubted as the Sabres needed a deal of training and weren't exactly finished. They'd been told they were here on Reach as defense in case the Covenant was stupid and decided that Reach was a planet to mess with. They made it clear that they weren't going anywhere. Besides, the ship they would be on wouldn't be able to handle the equipment.

John moved through the group of vehicles to the warthogs lined up to one side. He knew he was getting more looks in his new Mark V armor than the vehicles but he ignored them. As a Spartan he was used to getting unwanted attention from soldiers. John moved over to a Warhog that had been outfitted with a rocket pod on the back. He'd seen the configuration before but that one had been specially adapted, this one looked to be designed with the rocket-turret. John was sure that the soldiers could put good use to it but it was no use to him.

"Hey, look. Seems like a Spartans found himself a girlfriend," a soldier joked. John looked in the direction and spotted a familiar female Spartan standing beside a Gauss warthog. John scowled as he realized that his heartbeat had quickened a bit. He didn't know the cause of the reaction and it felt hopeless to try to figure it out. He decided it was best to just get control of himself and put it aside.

John pushed aside the feeling as he did with fear in combat and didn't give it another thought. He moved over to the Spartan and watched as his teammate ran a hand over the vehicle's hood. "Kelly."

She turned toward him and snapped to attention. "Sir."

"At ease." She relaxed and John looked to the warthog. "You know we won't have a use for warthogs on our mission. It would be a better option to steal vehicles from them to limit suspicion." John glanced toward the vehicle and then back to the Spartan. "Why, then, are you inspecting the warthogs?"

She looked toward the vehicle and her hand moved back to the hood. "I was just looking, thinking, sir."

John looked to the warthog. It wasn't anything special and he didn't know why she'd be thinking about one. "What were you thinking about, Kelly?" He made sure to use her name, letting her know his curiosity was more from friendship than as another soldier.

"I was thinking about all the good times we've had in a warthog." Kelly removed her hand and took a step toward John. "Come on, Chief. Take a girl for a ride." It was a nervous request. He would have labeled it pleading but it was hard to think of Kelly as begging or pleading. John's mind filled in the last part of the request, the three words that seemed to follow so many things in the recent weeks. It wasn't just a request for a ride in a warthog. It was a request for one last ride in a warthog, possibly ever.

John considered the request, figuring if he had the time. Like many things recently he decided to make time. "I can't take a girl for a ride, but I can take you." John moved around the warthog while Kelly climbed in. He started up the hog and hit the gas.

"I'm still trying to figure out if you not calling me a girl was an insult or an effort to treat me the same as the male soldiers." Kelly held onto the center roof support, foot up on the side of the hog as she watched the base pass by.

"It was a reference to the fact that you're a woman, not a girl." John turned the hog toward the roads that lead through the forest. Kelly didn't voice any opposition so he assumed she approved. They drove in silence for some time, just enjoying being together.

"I wonder if the Covenant home world has trees," Kelly wondered aloud. "Though come to think of it do all Covenant have the same planet?" John glanced toward her at the question. "I mean I don't see jackals and grunts coming from the same planet."

John agreed with the logic but the mission was the last thing he wanted to think about at the moment so he decided to change subject. "What good times were you thinking about?"

Kelly looked his way but he turned his eyes back to the path ahead of them. "I was thinking about the first time we drove warthogs and Sam nearly ran you over."

John frowned at the memory and Kelly's amusement. "It wasn't funny. He nearly knocked me senseless." John remembered the vehicle hitting him though luckily it had really just been a tap, not a full collision. "How about the first time you drove a warthog?"

"Hey, that Moa shouldn't have gotten in my way. It was also nice to know it could take the impact," Kelly reasoned. "Made me hesitate less the first time I hit a Jackal with one. Though at least I didn't try to ram a hunter and nearly got us both killed."

John groaned as she brought up the hunter. "I couldn't see it through the banshee fire," he argued. "Not to mention you were in no danger. You'd jumped out of the warthog before I even hit it."

"Good thing I did or else we both would have been blasted away. It only didn't kill you because I distracted it." Kelly reached up and removed her helmet, setting it in her lap. "Remember that one time we were out 'star gazing' and had to hide under the warthog to avoid the patrol?"

John remembered the time and remembered that what they'd been doing that night had nothing to do with staring at the sky. "I remember the questions I got the next day about the mark on my neck." It was nice to talk about simpler, more peaceful times for a change. "Maybe we should go to the field." Kelly looked toward him and he could see that she was placing in the same three words that completed his suggestion. One last trip to their secret place they'd use during their training days.

"I'd like that," Kelly agreed. "It's been a long time." Her hand moved over and settles on his thigh. John felt his pulse rise a bit and was quickly followed by the disappointment that he couldn't actually feel her hand on him. She returned her hand to its resting place on her helmet and looked out toward the forest, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to miss Reach."

"It will be here when the missions through, waiting for us." John slowed the vehicle when the road neared the field they used to use. A part of their choice had been that there was no path a warthog could take to get there. John climbed out of the vehicle and walked around to Kelly's side. She stood beside the warthog, looking out at the forest.

"Do you think Covenant plants are purple like the metal of their ships?" Kelly looked down to her helmet and then to him. She leaned over and placed a kiss on his helmet where his month would be before tucking her helmet under her arm. "Hope you plan on taking that thing off. I think it's law that if we go to our old make out spot we have kiss at least once."

John didn't disagree and they started through the forest. "Want to race to it?" Kelly asked. "Loser has to do whatever the winner wants."

John smiled behind his visor. There was no way he was going to win the race but there was really no way he was losing in the bet either. "You're on. Are you going to play fair?"

"You mean slow myself down so you can keep up?" John nodded. "Not a chance, Johnny." Kelly slipped in her helmet and the two Spartans stopped. John set a short five second timer on their HUDs and they stood side by side as it ticked down. When it reached zero they took off.

John weaves between the trees, racing toward the field. He could catch glimpses of Kelly through the trees, keeping a steady pace ahead of him but not overdoing it. They broke through the tree line and John skidded to a halt. The field wasn't empty like they had expected, rather occupied by a large creature. It turned toward them and roared.

John had only ever seen a Guta a couple times. Once from a distance and another time in their classroom as kids. The base was supposed to have a fence around it that kept the creatures out for the safety of everyone. If it got to the main base it could injure a lot of people.

The two Spartans easily switched to combat mode as the creature charged. John didn't even say a word before Kelly darted forward. John ducked down as the creature swung its arm and the strike passed over his head. Kelly reached the legs of the Guta and her fist slammed into its right leg. John heard bone crack and the beast let out a cry of pain as it stumbled. It was injured but madder than before. Kelly darted out of the way as the creature's hand slammed down where she'd just been standing. Kelly continued to dodge while John searched for the perfect opening. When it came he sprang forward. He landed on the Guta's back and quickly used the angle of the creature's body to climb up to its shoulder. The creature roared and moved to reach back but it was too late. John pulled out his knife and stabbed it into the base of the Guta's head. It toppled and John was thrown from its back. He rolled over the grass but finally came to a stop a few meters away from the dead beast.

John moved to his feet and looked to Kelly as she joined him. "There must be a hole in the fence. We should alert command so they can find the problem."

John nodded, knowing that a hole large enough for a Guta was a major security risk. He was just about to radio the base when a female voice spoke up. "I've already reported the Guta and have alerted them to the possible breach in the fence."

John froze, having been unaware that they hadn't been alone the whole time. "Cortana, how long were you monitoring us?"

"I started monitoring you when your heart rate increased," Cortana answered. "I figured you were in danger."

John wasn't sure which time she meant. Did she mean only during the fight? Had she started monitoring them since Kelly had put her hand on his thigh? Or was it back when his emotions had oddly flared up? "That will be all, Cortana." John hoped that meant she would stop watching them. He got the feeling, though, that too soon he and Kelly wouldn't be able to find somewhere they could be alone.

"What's wrong?" Kelly asked. "You tensed up. Is it bad news?" She looked around at the forest, looking for a threat.

"We were being monitored. Cortana, the AI I told you about, was monitoring us when my heart rate increased," John explained.

"So it was monitoring the race and the fight. It's not that bad." Kelly brushed it off, not worried.

"She could have been monitoring long before that." John could tell that it confused Kelly. "You have a tendency to make my pulse rise," he explained.

Kelly was silent for a moment before she reached up and removed her helmet. She tapped her head and John got the idea. He removed his own helmet. "Do you think it can still hear us without our helmets on?"

"I'm not sure, and Cortana is female," John replied. "I don't think the helmets are powered without being attached to the rest of the armor."

"John, AI don't really have a gender. That's like saying your armor is male. Just because your equipment can talk back doesn't mean it's a person." Kelly shook her head a bit.

"Talk to her and then tell me that she's as a person," John countered. "I'm sure we'll find a way to be alone."

Kelly moved to stand before John and smiled. "I don't want to talk about AI or how to get away from them." Kelly moved her hand to John's neck and pulled him toward her. Their lips touched and John pulled her against him as close as their armor would allow. She broke away, her fingers having moved to the back of his head. "You think it can feel your heart right now?"

"If she can she must think I'm fighting a pack of Guta." John placed a light kiss in her forehead. "You won the race. What do you want?"

"You," Kelly answered.

"That's like saying you want a suit of high powered armor. You already have it." John leaned forward and rested his head against hers. "What do you want that you don't already own?"

"Other than privacy from that AI?" Kelly asked. "I have everything I could ever want. Though, we could always live up to our nickname for this field."

John smiled, knowing that she had only worded that way so if Cortana was listening she might not know what they were talking about. "Whatever you want, Bunny." He pulled her back to him and they clung to each other as they kissed.


	163. Coping

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Coping**

John moved through the ship, only the flashlight on his gun allowing him to see. His steps echoed, mixing with those of his team behind him. He knew that Kelly would be right behind him, Fred not far behind, and Linda bringing up the rear. John moved to a doorway and flattened his back against the wall. He motioned to Kelly and she moved to the other side. Once she was in place he motioned to the other two. Fred and Linda moved into the room to clear it.

John moved into the room after them but found only Fred. The man stood in the room, looking over the empty room. He looked around for any sign of the sniper. "Where's Linda?"

Fred looked to him and scowled. "She was just here," the other man answered.

There was a sort of scuttling sound and John knew what it was right away. That sound could bring up more fear in him than the sight of a fleet of Covenant ships. "Flood! Run!" John ordered.

The wall behind Fred broke open, shrapnel slicing through the air as the tank landed in the room. Infection forms swarmed the room like rushing water and John could feel his heart rate skyrocket.

"Fred!" Kelly called out as she took a step toward the tank that was between them and their fallen teammate.

John grabbed her hand and pulled. "Run!" he shouted. He pulled her down one of the hallways and didn't look back. He hated to leave Fred but there were too many and he wasn't about to let Kelly waste her life making a hopeless attempt to save him. He wasn't going to let the Flood take her like it did in his nightmares.

They ran down the hallway, John looking for any turn or room they could use to ditch the tidal wave of Flood behind them. There was nothing but a strait passage so they continued to run. John held onto her hand tightly, knowing that in his dreams something always grabbed her and stole her away from him. He wouldn't let his dreams be reality.

The two Spartans skid to a halt as they reached a dead end. John turned back to see combat forms rushing toward them and infection forms crawling over the walls. There was a burst of gunfire from Kelly's assault rifle. It hit a pair of infection forms but they only popped like carrier forms and five more appeared. John gripped his gun tighter but knew it would be no help to him.

Something metal hit the ground behind him and John looked over to see that Kelly had taken her helmet off. John loosened his grip on his gun until it slipped from his hands. He removed his own helmet and let it fall to the floor.

Kelly's hand gripped his and he pulled her to him, hugging her close. Their lips met for one last kiss before Kelly suddenly pulled away. John could only just catch the infection form forcing its way into Kelly's shoulder, starting the mutation. All thought of escape vanished at the sight of the horrified and pained look on Kelly's face. John wrapped his arms around her and held his love against him as she struggled and shook as the mutation spread. Tears slid down his cheeks as the movement suddenly stopped. He was still holding her tight to him when she started to move again. Not her movements but that of the flood that had taken her. He didn't know if somewhere in her she could still hear and see him but even the thought of it made John certain that he couldn't kill this combat form. John released her and took a step back. He took in shaky breaths as he tried to get himself under control. It was no use. The tears blurred his vision and there was no hope to calm the near sobs that stopped him from taking a proper breath.

The combat form that was Kelly raised its arm and swung.

John sat up in his bed, breathing heavily. He was covered in a layer of sweat and he could feel the tears running down his cheeks. Here in the solitude of his quarters aboard the ship he let the fear and sorrow take him. His hands gripped the sheets as he cried, the memory of the dream still fresh in his mind. It was some time before he calmed down enough, exhausted from the flood of emotion that came with the nightmares. This was how it always went when he had nightmares away from home, away from her. He would wake up after having screamed and thrashed in the night. Sometimes he woke up crying or shaking from the nightmare. There was no one to comfort him, no warm body to hold and calm him, so he just let the emotion run its course.

Now he'd almost reached the final stage. The point where the emotion had tired him so much and worked itself out of his system. Now he could think straight enough to remember the last stage. He got up from the bed, hands wiping away the tears on his cheeks and moving to his footlocker. He rummaged around, tossing out clothing and not caring where it landed. He'd clean it all up in the morning like he always did. For now he was focused on his goal. John found the datapad and grabbed it, moving back to the bed.

John grabbed the sheets off the ground and lay down, covering himself up as he settled onto the mattress. John looked through the special folder of videos that Kelly had put onto the datapad for his trips. Some of them were a bit silly but meant to help him deal with being away for a long time. The varied from a video of Kelly eating a meal so John could feel like they were having dinner together to a video of a night together in case his adult needs demanded to be satisfied before he could get home. He found the video he was looking for, the one labeled 'nightmare'.

The video started to play and John lay on his side, screen propped up so he could see her face.

"Hey, John." Even over the video he voice was calming, peaceful, and happy. "If you're watching this video you've had one of your nightmares and I'm not there to make it better." John knew the video by heart but he still clung to every word, soaking in what he could get. "I'm sorry I'm not there, John, I wish I was. If I was I'd be holding you tight and comforting you." John pulled the sheets around him tighter, trying to get warmer to imitate being wrapped in her arms.

"I wish you were here, Kelly," John muttered. He wanted to reach out and pull her toward him but there was no body to touch, no warm welcoming flesh to share his bed.

"I'm not going to tell you it's not real, you know that. You're safe, the other Spartans are safe, and I'm safe. Just close your eyes, Johnny, and let it all go." John did as she instructed and he could hear her start to hum. It was one thing he'd never really thought about often. He'd learned it when he was young but until Kelly opened her mouth to sing he always forgot how beautiful her voice is. A smile slowly spread as her humming turned to words and he recognized his favorite song she used to sing him to sleep. He slowly drifted off to sleep, lulled to sleep by the voice of his love.


	164. Terror

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Terror**

A/N: Takes place after Halo 4 and there are slight Halo 4 spoilers.

John stood in the darkness, not sure where he was. He tapped his foot against the floor, identifying the returning sound as metal. At least he knew there was a floor under him. He felt uneasy without his armor, like there was something stalking him in the darkness. He closed his eyes, listening closely for any hint of something around him.

"John?" His eyes snapped open and he found himself facing Cortana. She looked scared and nervous. "John, how could you leave me like that? You said you'd save me, fix my rampancy. Why would you just let me die?" Her voice was becoming more frantic as she spoke.

John didn't know what to say. He had tried to save her; she had made the choice to not let him. He'd wanted to get her back to doctor Halsey and try to fix her. She'd been the only teammate he had left and he'd wanted to see that she made it out of the fight as well. He didn't have the words and a part of his mind told him he'd be arguing with an AI that no longer existed.

Cortana's features turned to a frown. "You just let me die. You never cared about me. You only cared about her, about yourself, and making sure you survived." She was angry, almost shouting. It reminded John of when she'd gotten out of control aboard Infinity.

"I tried to save you," John argued. He heard the laughter of the grave mind echo around him and could hear the sound of metal quickly hitting metal, the sound he identified as a charging crawler.

"No, you didn't do anything to save me, just let me die!" Cortana shouted. There were flashes of light around John and a dozen promethean knights appeared. John knew he had no weapon and wouldn't stand a chance. He did the only thing he could: he ran.

John slipped between two of the knights and ran, just hoping that the floor didn't drop out under him. "You can't save anyone. You couldn't save Johnson, or Miranda." Cortana's voice seemed to echo all around him.

Something hard hit John and he found himself on his back, looking up at an elite in the odd armor that John had seen on Requiem. The sangheili snapped an energy sword on and placed a foot on John's chest. Behind the alien John could see the tentacles of the grave mind rise up, infection and stalker forms clinging to them. He felt terror spike through him. He couldn't fight back and he'd die without being able to do anything, with Cortana still mad at him, and without getting to say goodbye to Kelly.

The elite pulled the sword back to strike. "John?" The word was soft and soothing. The elite stopped and looked back as the flood tentacle as it was engulfed in blue flames. Little burning bits floated down like flakes of snow, burning away the infection.

John looked to his side and frowned at the odd ball of blue fire beside him. He knew that shade of blue and he knew what the flames were before it even moved. It took a few steps forward and its ears twitched. It was hard to tell as it looked at him but when the elite moved to swat it away the flames jumped. The flame rabbit slammed into the elite's chest and the fire quickly spread over the alien. The weight was gone from John's chest and he got to his feet. All around him small rabbits of fire were charging and incinerating the enemies.

"John, it's all right." John turned and saw her, standing in the flames. She took a few steps toward him and John met her half way. He stood only a step away from her, just watching the way the light of the fire played across her face. "You did everything you could."

John shook his head. "No, I wasn't able to save her. I made a promise, and I promised you I'd keep my promises."

"She made the choice, not you, John. Honor the sacrifice she made and survive like she wanted." Her hand gently took his and she held it against her cheek. "You've still got me," she added.

She took a step toward him and John's hand moved to her side, pulling against him. He moved his other hand to the back of her neck and hugged her close. The fire grew closer around them, warming John's skin as it inched closer.

Lips pressed against John's and his eyes slowly opened to meet eyes the same blue as the fire from his dream. Kelly moved to pull away but John pulled her back down letting a hint of his fear and need for her show through in the force of his kiss.

Kelly pulled back and laughed lightly. "And here I thought I'd be the more needy of the two of us," she joked. She sat up and John realized that she had somehow slipped under his blankets and straddled him without waking him up. He was a bit impressed as he wasn't a deep sleeper, most Spartans weren't. "You look like you didn't sleep very well."

John was still very tired. He felt more exhausted after the nightmare than before he'd gone to sleep. "I had a bit of a nightmare. I'm still very tired," he admitted.

Kelly tried to hide her disappointed but John knew the signs. "Then go back to sleep, John." She settled on his chest, moving so she was lying down in the cot alongside him.

"It's been almost five years, Kelly. I'm sure I can find the energy." John rolled them over, annoyed to find that his muscles protested each little movement. He knew that with the stiffness of his limbs he'd never be able to live up to his own standards of performance. Still, he pushed on, hoping that is limbs would loosen up as he progressed. His lips pressed to hers and he deepened it, trying to get things started.

"John, it's all right." Kelly put a hand against his chest and pushed back a bit. "You need to rest. When was the last time you got a proper sleep? After four years I can wait for you to have the energy."

John stopped, reluctant to admit that she was right. It had been a long time since he'd really slept and woke up better than he had before he went to sleep. There would be no way he would have the energy to properly satisfy her. John moved to lay beside her, a bit disappointed. It felt like losing, and he didn't like it. Kelly moved to lie against him, moving close to his chest. John relented, accepting the defeat and pulling her against him. He settled in and let the warmth of her bedmate lull him to sleep.


	165. Hunters

**Pairing:John/Kelly**

**Title: Hunters**

Kelly checked her pistol and made sure her grenades were secured to her armor. She looked across the pelican where John was doing the last of his checks as well. Fred sat beside him; examining his clip to be sure it wouldn't jam. Something must have felt wrong about it when he'd put it in his assault rifle. Beside her sat Linda, double checking her sniper rifle. On the other side of Linda was Will, his fingers tapping against the casing of the rocket launcher he was holding.

"So, what should we expect?" Kelly asked, her gaze turning back to John. Usually he would have given the rundown by now of the mission."

"Unknown. Communications and sensors are being blocked or are down at the moment. We know there were drop ships deployed but that's all. We don't know what kind of forces to expect, how many drop ships were deployed, if there are any survivors, or where on the planet they are."

Kelly scowled, not a fan of so little information. "I don't know about you but I prefer a little more intel with my intel. We're basically flying in blind."

"It's all we've got so it will have to do. We'll get the job done." John stood and the others all stood with him. The rear of the pelican opened and the Spartans moved out into the forest, heading to the first of the cities.

The Spartans spent five days making their way cross the planet, going from city to town to city. They stayed in the forest when resting to avoid being caught off guard by any Covenant troops. On the sixth night the Spartans had chosen a small space surrounded by large rocks that would limit enemy access.

Kelly had perched up on one of the larger rocks and borrowed Linda's sniper rifle to be able to see further around them. She was watching a city far in the distance when someone climbed up beside her. From the sound of armor she knew it was Spartan but when she checked her mission clock she frowned. It was at least ten minutes before the next watch shift.

She felt a hand settle on her lower back where the armor plates didn't cover. She looked over to see John beside her, looking out at the forest. "See anything?"

The hand on her back made it clear that checking up on the watcher wasn't why he was here. He was there to be sure that when her watch was over she'd come sleep beside him. "You're luck is holding out, I think I have spotted something." Kelly returned her gaze to the scope. "There's a slight green light in the city ahead. Not a human color."

John looked out toward the city as his hand moved over her back slightly as he thought. "You think it's Covenant?" Kelly nodded. He removed his hand from her back. "I'll wake the others. Keep an eye on it." Kelly flashed her acknowledgement light and settled in to watch the light.

Seven minutes later the Spartans were making their way through the jungle, heading for the city. "Couldn't you have waited to spot the light?" Will asked. "I was having a good dream. Wouldn't have minded finishing it."

"Will was the next on watch. Why was John coming to visit you?" Linda asked teasingly. She always gave Kelly trouble at how close she was to John. At least the other woman had had the sense to keep John off of the private channel. "You two were holding hands, weren't you? You two have no shame."

Kelly ignored the both of them, more focused on what could have been the source of the light she'd seen. It reminded her of an overcharged plasma pistol but the light she'd seen would have to be at least five of them for her to have been able to see it so far away.

Fred brought them to a stop several times because of movement but it was always native animals. They arrived at the city's boarders at dawn just as light was spreading across the landscape. The Spartans hid in the dense jungle ten meters from the edge of the city. There were plasma burns visible but no Covenant to be seen.

The Spartans moved into the city and made their way street by street, checking each building. Kelly eased around the frame of the door and frowned at the empty street ahead. It wasn't just that it was another empty street but the partially destroyed wall. It was far more destruction than a wraith could do with simple plasma fire.

Kelly realized what was the most likely cause of such damage. "Will, do to still have that rocket launcher?"

"Yeah, why?" Will asked.

"I think I've figured out what's in the city." There was movement behind Kelly and she knew it was John taking a defensive position. "What has a gun with a green glow and can break through a wall?" John tensed behind her, knowing the answer. A Hunter. "There's damage in the street that indicates a Hunter and it matches what I saw."

Kelly continued to watch the street as she waited for John to make a decision. They knew there were at least two hunters on the ground as they always traveled in pairs. The question was where were they and was there more than one pair.

There was motion at the end of the street and Kelly held up a hand. "I have eyes on an elite." The gold armor of the field master shined in the morning sun as it turned onto the street. Kelly tensed as four hunters lumbered behind it, starting to move down the street. "Two Hunter pairs with it."

"I don't think I have enough ammunition for that many," Will admitted. They still didn't know how many rockets it took to kill a Hunter for sure.

"There's a pair around back," Linda announced. "What do we do?"

Kelly watched as the Hunters split up, each moving to a different building and breaking in the doors. They smashed apart the entrances and forced their way in, lighting up the buildings with green plasma. "They're clearing houses," Kelly informed the team. It would be long before they reached the building the Spartans were in.

Kelly ducked back into the house, looking to John for an exit plan. He looked toward the back door and then to Kelly. "How far are they?"

"Only a few houses away and getting closer," Kelly answered. John thought for a second and she knew that he was going through all their options. He turned to her for a second and Kelly noted the small shake of his head as he looked away. She knew what had gone through his head and that it was their best option for them to get away and plan an attack. "John, I've got to do something you're not going to like. You know that." John turned has gaze back to her, understanding. He nodded and she moved back to the doorway. She grabbed one of her grenades and pulled the pin.

Kelly sprang out if the door, the grenade arcing through the air toward the elite. The explosive went off at about chest level of the alien and knocked it back. The Hunters burst out of the buildings at the roar of pain from the elite and Kelly could hear the pair around back running down the street to find the enemy.

Kelly took off down the street at a sprint slow enough that the Hunters around back would catch sight of her before she ran down the street. Kelly made sure to run just slow enough that the hunters would be able to follow. If she went too fast she'd lose them and they'd simply go back to destroying everything, possibly even head back toward the Spartans.

Kelly changed streets often, sometimes slowing so the Hunters wouldn't realize the chase was pointless and they'd never catch up. She turned down an ally and skidded to a halt as she found the other end blocked. She turned to head back but found that it had been blocked as well. Kelly looked between the two Hunters, trying to think of an escape. The first Hunter moved, starting to charge. Kelly looked back to the second and saw that it was charging as well. It was obvious they intended to crush her between their shields. Kelly quickly figured where they would collide and moved to the location. She crouched and waited until they'd almost reached her. She jumped with only inches to spare, her foot landing on the head of one of the Hunters. The swift Spartan jumped over the Hunter's back, hitting the ground and rolling to her feet in one fluid movement.

Kelly took off down the alley before the Hunter could turn and pursue her. She came out into the street and stopped to get her bearings. It was a mistake as she realized there was a group of four Hunters at one end of the street with guns charged. She didn't have the time to think before they fired. Kelly just barely moved out of the way of the actual plasma but the road under her broke and she lost her footing. Kelly hit the ground and skidded to a stop on the hard pavement.

There was a thud nearby and she looked over to see a Hunter raising its shield to strike. She caught a blur of green and the flash of a reflective visor. The Spartan shoved its hand up into the Hunter and quickly pulled it out. The Hunter tried to swing its shield at the new enemy but the Spartan rolled out of the way, back behind the Hunter and turned away from the enemy.

The Hunter had just turned to attack John when the grenade he'd put inside went off. The orange eels were shredded by the force and bits of broken armor scattered across the road. John got to his feet and Kelly scrambled back up as well. She dashed forward, hearing the familiar warming up of plasma behind her. She tackled John to the side and felt the heat was over her as the Hunters fired where John had been. Heat washed over her body and she felt her feet and legs burn a bit as her suit couldn't adjust quick enough to the sudden heat.

Kelly forced herself to her feet and helped John get up quickly. They took off down the street away from the Hunters. Kelly slowed herself to John's pace to insure she didn't leave him behind. There were two bangs and rocket soared past them, straight for the Hunters. Kelly didn't look back to be sure they hit, just kept running. She followed John as he turned a corner and they reached a partially broken warthog outfitted to carry troops, Fred at the wheel and Linda in the shotgun seat. John jumped into the back and Kelly followed him. She turned back and spotted will holding a hand out to him. He took her hand and climbed in with them.

"Go!" John barked and Fred hit the gas. The warthog sped off, bouncing over the landscape. When they were a distance away John hit the radio. "We're clear." Kelly watched as Longswords streaked overhead and the city erupted into fire. Kelly relaxed in the back of the warthog and put her feet up a bit to take the pressure off the skin. "Are you all right?"

Kelly considered not answering but remembered she'd agreed to not hide injuries from him. "Slight burns to the back of my legs and my feet. Nothing worse than the burn of food that's too hot."

"Is that how bad it is or how it feels?" Kelly didn't know how to answer the question so she didn't.

The Spartans were evacuated from the planet after two of the UNSC ships had been destroyed and the remaining two were only barely able to limp away from the remaining Covenant ship before more showed up.

Kelly had been a bit wrong about her injuries. Her feet were only second degree burns but she had a bit of third degree burns on her legs. She sat on her cot, feet having been healed mostly by the ship's medical bay. They were still a bit tender to walking so she'd decided to give them a break. The pain didn't really bother her at all but it was an excuse to relax for just a moment.

Kelly sat up as John entered the room but he put up a hand to stop her from doing more. "How are the feet?" he asked as he sat down at the foot of her cot.

"They're fine, just staying off them for a little while. So where's everyone else. Kelly lay back down and put her hands behind her head.

"Linda and Fred are already in cryo and Will is preparing for cryo." John reached out and his fingers lightly brushed over the side of her foot. Kelly laughed and moved her foot a bit away. "Oh, so you're still ticklish?"

"Stop it John, it's not funny." Kelly pulled her feet a bit more away from him until he stopped. "So how long until you go into cryo?"

"How long until your feet heal?" Kelly raised an eyebrow and John smiled a bit. He shifted a bit and held his hands out. "Give me your feet."

Kelly shook her head. "No, I don't want you to tickle them." She tucked her feet up toward her body to keep them out of his reach.

"I don't want to tickle them. I want to give you one of my foot massages." John held his hands out again and Kelly stuck her feet out. She was willing to take the risk of him lying if there was a chance at one of his amazing foot massages.


	166. Tired

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Tired**

John was crouched, waiting behind a large rock. He checked over his assault rifle to be sure it was ready for anything that might attack them. He didn't have margin for error in a combat situation so he had to be sure that nothing got screwed up or it might cost him his life. He looked across the pathway to Fred, crouched beside the second rock. He could see that there were cracks along the shoulder armor of Fred's Mark IV armor and he made a note to remind the man to get it fixed.

A blur of green and black passed them and John readied his rifle. The Grunts ran past, not at all aware of the two Spartans. As soon as they had passed Fred and John opened fire on the five-foot-tall aliens. The armor piercing rounds tore through the small aliens and they fell to the ground, torn apart by the bullets. John swept the area and saw nothing left alive. He lowered his rifle and looked back at the fallen aliens.

"It's like there's no end to these things." Fred kicked one of the torn up bodies near him. "You would think at some point they'd run out of the little guys or they'd get tired of just being used to drain our ammunition."

"They likely have a high birth rate." John looked over as Kelly rejoined them. She'd been playing rabbit for a while, leading packs of grunts and elites toward them so they could ambush them. Usually he wouldn't have taken part in this sort of tactics, but he only had five soldiers with him, and right now one of them was very injured and the other two were watching a group of marines. The rest of the Spartans had been separated and John had lost contact with Red and Green team.

They were doing everything they could to force the Covenant from the planet, but he wasn't sure how much they could really do. Eventually the ships above would call them back, or they'd be glassed along with the planet. He was still trying to figure out what their next move should be when Kelly spoke to him.

"Are you even listening to us?" Kelly put her hands on her hips and John turned his attention to the quick Spartan. He decided he must be tired as for a second the thought of how nice it would be to just lie down with Kelly and sleep for a week crossed his mind. It was forced away just as quickly as it arrived but it made John aware of how long they had been at this. The Spartans had been running these attacks for three days straight, all in hope that Red or Green team would show up.

"We need to go back to the others. All of us need a bit of rest and we need to decide on a way to find the other teams. For now there's no way we can strike at any major forces without full strength." John turned and started to walk back toward where the marines and the rest of his team were waiting. They walked in silence, at least John thought it was silence. He glanced back to be sure that Kelly and Fred were following and frowned as he noticed the small signs that they were talking to each other. He wondered why they were leaving him out of the discussion.

They reached the rest of the soldiers and John nodded to James who was on guard. The Master Chief moved into the small structure that had been quickly patched up. At one time it might have been a small outpost, maybe a ranger station or something, but not anymore. Whoever had been here was long gone and the Covenant had only hit it to be sure. Luckily it was still rather strong so it made a good hiding place.

John sat down on one of the crates in the back room. He leaned back against the wall. He should try to get some sleep, but he couldn't. Although he was tired he needed to think. He had to come up with a way to find the rest of the Spartans, and try to beat back the Covenant. His attention was pulled from the fight as Kelly walked in, moving toward him. He watched her as she sat down and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. John rest his own helmet against hers, moving his arm so it was resting against hers.

John brought up her bio-indicators on his HUD and watched as the line rose and fell sharply with each beat of her heart. He remembered old days when, after a hard day of exercises that left him exhausted, Kelly would let him lean against her and he would just listen to the sound of her heart. A calm and soothing rhythm that slowly lulled him to sleep. He listened to the beeps as the monitor continued to track her heart. His eyes closed as he replaced each of those beats with what he remembered her heart sounding like. He listened to the sound until finally he drifted to sleep.


	167. The Past

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Fred/Kathleen**

**Title: The past**

John wasn't quite sure how to start the conversation. It was an awkward situation and he was starting to regret them doing this. Kelly had kept her files closed for five years and she'd only agreed to open hers because he'd wanted to open both of theirs. To ease both of their fears they'd swapped files and had decided they'd tell each other the important information. John had only really wanted to look it up so he could know what his actual last name was, but it wasn't really possible to open it up and only look at that.

John hadn't been particularly happy with what he'd read in Kelly's file and he wasn't sure what he was going to tell her. He could tell her the full truth, but he didn't see a point to that, no reason to bring up the bad if it wasn't that important. He still didn't know how to start the conversation. Luckily Kelly pushed forward.

She shifted a bit in on the couch so she could be more comfortable. She was getting large enough that it was becoming almost impossible for her to be comfortable. "So, should you go first or should I?" He noticed her hand rubbing over her stomach, a sign she was nervous. He wondered if she was nervous about what he'd tell her or what she was going to tell him.

John decided that there was no way to know why she was nervous until the information came out. "Tell me what was in my file." He hoped it would be like pulling a bullet out. It would hurt while it was happening but he'd feel better once it was out.

Kelly reached over and held his hand. He knew it was supposed to be a sign of comfort, that she was there no matter what his reaction was. "Your mother and younger brother died on Eridanus II, though you wouldn't know your brother. He was born after we joined the Spartan program. Your father survived from what I was able to track down. From what the files indicated he's helping with the rebuilding though I couldn't figure out exactly where. Your last name was Vakarun."

John frowned and he felt Kelly squeeze his hands, obviously trying to comfort him. He shook his head, looking down toward her hand that held his. "You say the titles but they don't bring up the right faces. You say brother and I think of Fred. You tell me my father is alive and I already feel I know that because I know Mendez is alive. Not sure how much I like the last name Vakarus, though."

Kelly smiled taking a deep breath. "All right, hit me with it." He could tell she was bracing herself for the news. From her reluctance he wondered how much she remembered from the past.

John didn't answer right away, choosing his words carefully before speaking. "I'm sorry, but none of your family survived the war. They died when Bliss was glassed." John had no idea how she would react. Kelly was still for a moment before she finally nodded. John let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. She'd taken the news better than he'd hoped, though he wasn't sure what he'd tell her if she asked for more detail. "Your last name is Shepard."

Kelly seemed to ignore the information about her last name. "Not all my family died," Kelly spoke up. "I still have a brother, a sister, and a loving father." Kelly looked down to her stomach and then up to John. "I also have you and our children. I really don't feel any sorrow for what are basically strangers that you're telling me are dead. I can't even start to think up a face." Kelly put her hand on his cheek and smiled. "Suppose it's easier that they made us forget them." She leaned against him, resting her face against his shoulder. "You are my family, John." John put his arm across her shoulder; letting his own mind think over what to do with the information he'd been given. It wasn't information that he'd truly be able to process all at once and any other questions he might have he could always ask as they come up. For now he just needed to worry about what he'd already been told.

John stared out at the soldiers running parade drills through the base's courtyard. He could easily spot the flaws in their movements, the way their steps were out of sync or the way that a couple of them didn't move their legs correctly. He looked to his left as Fred joined him. "Is this what you do for fun?" the Lieutenant asked.

John shook his head. "My fun activities involve my wife. This is work." He nodded toward the soldiers. "That group is set to become full soldiers soon, and three of them being looked at to become Spartan IVs."

"Seems like a large number for one class." Fred crossed his arms and looked to the soldiers. "I heard you read your file? Is it worth looking into?"

"I can't tell you that, Fred. There wasn't anything that bad in my file. A member of my family is alive, but that's about it." John closed his eyes, scowling. "Though there can be worse in them."

"There was something bad in Kelly's file?" Fred asked.

John didn't answer right away. It was sort of a loaded question and he wasn't sure how to answer it. "There was something that I chose not to inform her of," John finally answered. "There are some things that are better left forgotten, because people deserve better." John opened his eyes and turned toward Fred. "It's not all that bad, just…She deserved better than her father." John didn't really want to go into more detail. If he let anything slip then Fred might accidently inform Kelly of something he didn't want her to know about. "So are you thinking about looking into your file?"

Fred shrugged at the question. "I don't think I want to. I've just been thinking about looking in at Kathleen's records."

John furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why would you open up old wounds, Fred? If there's something bad in there you can't do anything about it. Even if there isn't then it won't help you, she's still gone."

Fred turned his gaze toward the ground. "I know, but…I don't know. I just feel like it would make me know her better. I've always wonder if what she told me about her parents was true. I know it's stupid, and it really isn't going to help."

"There is nothing that will be in those files that will do you any good. If it's good then you simply are left missing her and she's still gone. If it's bad then you are left wishing you could have done more to make up for the bad. It won't turn out well, Fred. It's best to leave the dead alone." John worried that his friend would ignore the advice. He knew that Fred had never really gotten over his old teammate's death, and John was sure that looking at the file wouldn't help.

Fred sighed and nodded. "I guess the past is best left where it is." The Lieutenant scratched his neck nervously. "Well, I'll leave you to your distracting yourself." John nodded, watching Fred as he walked away. John felt bad for him, wishing that there had been something he could have done for his friend. He knew that whatever Fred might find in the files would only cause him pain, though maybe it wasn't John's place to make that choice for him. He'd looked into his own file, not that it had really meant anything to him.

For the first time John gave thought to seeking out the man that was his biological father. He right away decided there was no point. He was dead to that man and the man was no one to John. He turned and headed back toward the Spartan barracks. He knew who his family was. His sister was Linda, his brother Fred, and Kelly was the love of his life, and the mother of his child. He smiled, somehow feeling more secure in who he was, with the information of who he had once been, and the life of normality that he almost had to live.


	168. Missing Her

**Pairing: Kathleen/Fred**

**Title: Missing Her**

Fred sat on the seat in the large open area. He stared up at the image of the stars before him. He had come here to be alone, to try to gather himself. They'd gotten the news as to who hadn't made it through the augmentations not long ago. It had been crushing for Fred. He'd been prepared to lose Sheila, maybe even Joshua, but he wasn't ready for her to have died. He couldn't help how much it had hurt to get the news.

"There you are." Fred recognized the voice as Will. He clumsily tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. It was such a weak thing and if she was here she would have called him names and insulted him. All the worse, he really only managed to smack himself in the face a few times before he gave up. His body just wasn't as coordinated at it used to be. He just looked to the ground, hoping his friend wouldn't notice.

Will sort of fell into the seat beside Fred. Whether it was because it was all he could manage or by choice Fred didn't know. He didn't say a word, just sat there in silence. Fred remained quiet, knowing that if he said anything his friend would know that he was crying. He didn't want to be teased at the moment.

"Seriously, you're crying?" Damn, he'd noticed. "I guess I should have expected that. After all, you are you." Will shook his head slightly and leaned back in his chair. "You that upset by it?"

"She meant a lot to me. I don't know about you but I loved her. She wasn't just some cute girl in our squad or someone who was willing to show me affection. I really liked her." Fred couldn't help the way he had to take in a few deeper breaths to keep himself as calm as he could.

"Is that really what you think I thought of her?" Will frowned at him and crossed his arms. "I didn't have it easy like you. I had to fight to get her attention, you just had to stand there and she liked you. Sorry that I had to put more effort in it, that I'm not willing to cry when I know she'd smack me if she found out."

Fred looked away from his friend, back to the screen. "She would slap me in the back of the head if she found out I was crying. Tell me I was weak and hopeless." He couldn't help but smile a bit. Sure, he hated when she insulted him or called him weak, but that was how she was. He looked to his right, expecting to see her there, rolling her eyes at how stupid the conversation was. Usually when they would sit like this she would have used him as furniture while she talked to Will. He always hated being treated no better than a chair or table, but right now he missed it.

"No, she'd tell you to suck it up, maybe call you a pansy, then tell you that you can't dwell on the dead. Say that when we all agreed to be soldiers we decided that we were willing to put our lives on the line." Will put a hand on Fred's shoulder and he looked to his best friend. "She'd say that we should move on, cope with what happened. Never forget her, but realize that the dead can't come back to life."

Fred sighed and slumped in his seat. "I know all of that. It's just a bit harder to actually let a person go. Besides, that's easy for her to say, she's dead." Just saying that hurt him and Fred regretted it. "For once I wish she was here to slap some sense into me or something."

Will slapped his friend on the back. "I could do that for you. Could let me get out my frustration about never getting to say goodbye."

"Will, did they let you out of your room when they were prepping for the surgeries?" Fred thought of the room he'd been in, the number of beds there had been in that room. He thought of the room she'd been in. The one lone bed, just her all alone.

"Yeah, didn't they let you? Until they were putting us under we were allowed to sit up and walk around." Will frowned at the question. "Why?"

"I went to see her before the surgeries. She was in a different room. There weren't any others in there, just her. They wouldn't let her leave." Fred scowled not liking that. "I wonder why."

"Does it really matter?" Will asked. "Maybe we can look into it later. For now, they say that we should get ready for the funeral. Remember to stand as tall as you can manage, and don't you dare bump into me." Will stood and started to move out of the room.

Fred stood, a bit shaky at first but stabilizing, before following the other Spartan out of the room. "Do you think they'll give me her tags? I mean she doesn't need them anymore."

"I'm sure you can at least ask." Will put an arm around his friends shoulder. "Now, I'm going to use you as a crutch because my right leg is being weird." Fred smiled and shook his head but allowed his friend to lean on him.


	169. Tradition

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Tradition**

John moved into the Spartan barracks, looking for a particular person. He had a while before he was set to be put into cryo. The Spartans were supposed to stay awake and help with repairs then go into cryo when they were done. That would be some time though and he knew how he wanted to spend the time he had before he was given new orders. After a hard loss like the one they'd just suffered there was only one thing that tended to make things easier. He found her sitting on her cot, an odd object in her hands. From the looks of it the thing was a stick but it seemed to have something carved into it.

He moved through the barracks and over to his own cot. "What is that?" he asked, frowning at the object. "Where did it come from?" He sat down, leaning forward so his forearms were resting on his knees. "Is it your new Grunt whacking stick?"

"It's not a cudgel, you barbarian." Kelly shook her head, letting out a long breath. "It's a gift, from one of the techs on the ship. He gave it to me as a Christmas gift."

"You mean that tech that watching you when you're getting into, or out of, your armor?" John didn't like that man. He didn't like the way he looked at her or the way he only watched her when she was armoring up. "You know he doesn't have pure intentions."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "And your intentions are so pure?" She spun the stick in her hands. "The guy said it was a traditional gift from his homeworld. A lucky charm that they give to friends. It's supposed to grant the receiver good luck for a year," Kelly explained.

"We could use some good luck." John considered moving over to her cot, making his intentions clearer. "I forgot that it was this close to Christmas. Do you have something you'd like from me this year?"

"The same thing I want every year," Kelly answered. They both knew she wasn't going to get it, but there was nothing else that Kelly wanted. "It won't really matter. We'll be in cryo anyway so we can't celebrate it. Not to mention holidays have never really been a Spartan thing."

"Holidays are supposed to distract us from everything else in the world, be a time of peace. Maybe they should be a Spartan thing." John reached over and she let him take the stick. He looked over the carved letters, not recognizing the language. "What does this say?"

"I don't know, he didn't tell me. I suppose I could use a translation softwear on it but I don't think it really matters. It's just a nice gift that will probably sit at the bottom of my footlocker for the rest of its existence. I mean, it's a gift from a random person, not really something I'm going to treasure." Kelly stood and John watched her. She held out her hand and he passed her the stick to her. She moved over to her footlocker and put it away.

John stood and moved over to her. "I really think we should celebrate holidays, at least some of them. We may not be awake for Christmas but maybe we can still celebrate it. Maybe not gifting but we could still have a meal with all of the Spartans at once. A tradition but not the major ones."

Kelly smiled and stood, crossing her arms. "So you mean traditions like Christmas dinner and kissing under the mistletoe?"

John took a step closer to her. "Those are the ideal traditions to follow." He smirked at her.

"Ha, told you that your intentions weren't pure," Kelly teased, uncrossing her arms. "If we celebrate Christmas then we should celebrate Easter as well."

"You only want to celebrate Easter because it involves chocolates." John reached out and his hand gently touched her side before he realized what he was doing and retracted his hand. "My intensions are pure. Is a kiss really indecent? Should I be the one that considers that obscene, not you?"

"I figured it was impure for you, you're version of suggesting that we make love right here in the barracks." Kelly smiled and reached up, placing a hand on his cheek. "Though if you don't consider it overboard, I think this once we can forgive the fact we don't actually have any mistletoe." She leaned toward him and he met her half way, arms wrapping around her waist as their lips touched. When they broke apart Kelly let her head rest on his chest. "Merry Christmas, John."

"Merry Christmas, Kelly," John said as he held her tight to him.

A/N: Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate, readers. I know, not the best story but I am planning a second one. I'm just caught between doing one where all the Spartan families get together for Christmas or a post Halo 4 where John and Kelly have a snowball fight.


	170. Snowball War

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Snowball War**

John looked up at the flakes slowly falling to the ground. He held his hand out and watched as the spot of white landed on his glove. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been around snow and not only considered it a detriment to combat. He wasn't thinking about how a warthog would slide a bit more or how it made it harder to sneak around without making noise. All he could really think of was how cold he was. John wrapped his jacket around him a bit tighter. It had been so long since he'd been in the cold, without being in his armor.

He should have felt at ease here on this base but since his most recent memories of snow seemed to revolve around being shot at he felt a bit uneasy. They were here just to escort a delivery back to the main base but that wasn't what he was thinking of. As he watched the white grow on his glove he thought of how it reminded him of a disintegrating Promethean Knight.

Something hit him in the back of the head and broke apart. His adrenaline spiked, his body tensed, and he felt cold run down his spine. John paused as he realized the cold was water running down his spine. He spun around and found Kelly standing with a snowball in hand. He just barely ducked in time to keep it from hitting him in the face. She crouched down to gather more snow and John charged toward her. Kelly realized what he was doing and moved out of the way before he could reach her.

"John, that's not how it's done," Kelly complained. John prepared to attack her again but she put up her hands. "Seriously, have you forgotten how a snowball war goes?"

John stopped, realizing what was going on. For a moment he didn't quite understand what he was supposed to do, until he saw Kelly starting to gather up snow for a new snowball. "That's not fair," John argued. Kelly stopped and raised an eyebrow. "I don't stand a chance against your speed."

"Not my problem," Kelly said before throwing another snowball. John was too close to avoid it hitting him in the face. He quickly moved to the side in case there was another hit and his hand went to brush away the snow.

John sighed and relented to Kelly's moment of childlike playfulness. "As long as you don't put rocks in them like when we were kids?" John ducked as Kelly threw again.

"You sure? You don't want me to throw one at you, cut your forehead like we when we were kids so I can kiss it and make it better?" Kelly teased.

John gathered up snow and prepared to fire. He knew he would have to fight smart as she was too fast to be able to fight with pure strength. "Well you just declared war on me, and you should know by now that declaring war against me is a bad idea."

Kelly stuck her tongue out and John only shook his head, not understanding what had caused the childish behavior. With that the war began, the two ducked and dodge, moving behind rocks to try to get some cover from the other. It was harder to win against Kelly than he expected. It wasn't just that she was fast but that she knew the way he fought so she was predicting his movements.

John hadn't done anything like this for a long time. He hadn't really let loose and just had fun like this and it felt good. He found himself smiling as he dodged Kelly's throws and tried to get closer to her, hoping that the closer distance would stop her from dodging his snowballs. He did manage to hit her a few times, though it was mainly because she wanted to get in a hit on him as well.

John peeked out from behind his rock, ducking back as Kelly threw a snowball from behind her tree. John decided a course of action. He moved out of his cover quickly and threw his snowball, aiming high. He didn't wait to see if the idea succeeded, just moved back to cover. He heard the rush of snow and looked back out. John had managed to make the snow in the tree above fall but Kelly had moved to the side and threw. John pulled his head back behind cover and saw the snowball pass where his head had been.

John started to create another snowball but panicked as suddenly the snow on the top of the rock he was using for cover started to fall. He rolled out of the way and looked up as Kelly jumped down from the rock and landed on his other side. The crack of a shot split the air and the two Spartans reacted instinctively. They moved to the side of the rock for cover, looking for the source. John had just spotted Linda, sniper rifle in hand and grinning, before the snow hit him. John was suddenly swallowed up by the cold as the snow that was on the top of the larger rock nearby tumbled down and buried him.

John pushed up and broke out of the pile of snow. He was shivering, having not felt cold like this in so long that he really couldn't recall a time that he'd been so cold. He looked over and saw Kelly pulling herself out of the snow. "I think Linda won," John commented.

"I really don't care who won," Kelly snapped and John frowned, wondering where her playful joy had gone. "I'm freezing, I have snow in places that it really shouldn't be and it's quickly turning into just cold water." Kelly climbed out of the snow and wrapped her arms around herself.

John moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Wow, you're really shivering," John observed. "How about we head inside, get something warm to drink, and curl up under a blanket."

"And change, my clothing is soaked," Kelly agreed. The two walked back to the building, out of the cold and into the warmth. John left Kelly in their quarters, well Kelly's quarters but he was staying with her. John went to the kitchens to get them something warm to drink. He tried to get coffee but they only thing they had was hot chocolate. John decided that he didn't have any other choice so he got them both a mug and headed back to the barracks.

When John entered the room he found Kelly curled up in a warm blanket. She turned to look at him and smiled, setting the two mugs down on the bedside table. Kelly sat up and she peeked out of the blanket, grabbing one of the mugs. John stripped his clothing and undergarments, tossing them into the hamper with Kelly's things. He grabbed the extra clothing that he had stored in her room and got dressed. As soon as he finished Kelly moved the blanket open and John joined her on the cot. She put the blanket around him and he moved to lean against him. Kelly passed him the second mug and he took it, gladly sipping the warm liquid. He had to admit that he enjoyed the warmth is spread through him. He sat curled up under the blanket with Kelly, sipping at their warm drink. He enjoyed the fact that she could give him these moments. After so much war she could still give him these moments of peace.

John smiled at her and Kelly returned the smile. "Thanks for humoring me. I wish Linda hadn't ruined the game by covering us in snow." Kelly let her head rest on his shoulder.

"I wasn't playing along," John admitted. "I enjoyed it. We haven't had a snowball fight since…well it's been a long time. Back then things were very different, we didn't even know there were aliens." John wrapped his arm around her waist and shifted her against his side. "Though I believe that we won. After all we're both cold and they say the easiest way to warm up is to share body heat, and it's best done with direct contact."

Kelly laughed and shook her head. "You horny man," she teased. "I'm not finished with my hot chocolate so that makes you impatient as well."

John let his head rest against Kelly's head. "I can wait till you finish." His hand on her waist slipped under her shirt just a bit and he frowned. "You are much too cold."

"I'm sure you can change that soon enough," Kelly teased, lifting her head. She placed a quick kiss on his lips. She took another sip of her drink before resting her head on his shoulder again. John let them slip into a comfortable silence, just sharing their warmth and sipping their drinks.


	171. Rabbit's Nightmare

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Rabbit's Nightmare**

Kelly's feet thudded against the ground as she ran for her life. She wasn't sure what or who she was running from, only that she needed to get away. She didn't recognize the forest as she ran between the trees, hoping they would deter her pursuer. She couldn't hear anything following her, the sound of her blood thudding in her ears like a waterfall, drowning out everything. She couldn't see whatever was following her but she knew it was still there. It was still on her tail, trying to get her.

The trees beside her shattered though she could see no source that would cause the destruction. As the bits of wood fell the transformed into long orange worms, slithering over the ground. She knew what they were on sight and ran faster. The worms joined together and blue liquid seeped out from between them to solidify into heavy blue armor. The giant hunter raised its gun and fired. The blast hit her and Kelly tumbled to the ground.

She could still hear the heavy footsteps as the hunter walked closer, preparing to finish her off. The pain started to sink in but she ignored it, like she always did. She struggled to get back up, trying to force herself back to her feet but it was like a great weight was keeping her down. She needed to get back up, needed to get moving. She had to be ready to fight or she'd die. The Spartans were planning a mission and she needed to be there with them. She needed to be John's Blue Two again. The last time she wasn't she thought she'd lost him forever. He'd gone to the Halo and almost died. She couldn't let that happen again, she had to have his back.

Kelly got to her feet, stumbling a bit but she started walking away from the hunter. She wanted to run but her legs wouldn't listen and she settled on walking. The hunter didn't fire again, just walked after her, keeping pace. It made no move to attack but it was still a threat and she needed to get away. She didn't know where she was heading but anywhere was better than facing the hunter.

Her foot caught on a root and she crashed to the ground, not enough energy to move and the stiff feeling in her arms made them hard to move. She took deep breaths, trying to gather her strength and get up again. The shadow descended over her and she knew she was out of time. The hunter would kill her and she'd never see John or the other Spartans again.

The strike never came. Kelly looked over her shoulder to find that the hunter had become a Spartan. No, not any Spartan, it was John. She didn't know what to say. Somehow he'd made the hunter go away, but more importantly he came for her. When she needed him he had come to save her.

John's hand reached out, his gauntleted hand settling on her back. The touch spread a warmth through her body that eased away the pain like running water over burned skin. She was suddenly aware that she didn't have armor on herself. "I just need to get on my armor and I'll be ready to go, Chief."

John shook his head and Kelly didn't understand. "Linda will be my Blue Two. We'll get the job done without you." John's voice was so flat, so dismissive. Was it really that easy to leave her behind? She felt a pain from his words that replaced the numbed physical pain.

"No, I'm Blue Two," she argued. She once more tried to force herself to her feet. She had to get moving, had to get back in the action. She had to have John's back. That was her duty, her purpose.

John stopped her, forcing her back to the ground. She cursed, not understanding. Why was he doing this? Why didn't he want her to go with him? Kelly stopped as she felt breath on her ear. "Go with Halsey, stay alive," John whispered.

"I don't want to be safe, I want to be with you," Kelly argued. She didn't want the safe mission, that wasn't the Spartan way. She wanted to be there with them as they took on the Covenant.

"But I want you safe," John countered. "Now do as you are ordered and stay alive." The weight was suddenly gone and John was gone. Kelly felt suddenly cold and the dull ache from her nearly healed burns returned.

Kelly's eyes opened and she found that she wasn't aboard the medical bay of the combined Covenant- human ship. She was aboard a much smaller ship and they were in trouble. She pushed aside the memory of her dream, the question of where John was, and focused on the emergency at hand.


	172. Girl Talk

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Palmer/Lasky**

**Title: Girl talk**

Kelly sat at a table alone in the mess hall. Usually she'd sit with the Rabbits but they were currently training in matches against other Spartan IV teams. For now she was left alone to eat her lunch in peace. Kelly looked up as another woman sat down across from her. Kelly recognized the woman as Sarah Palmer, the leader of the Spartan IVs. Kelly hadn't really talked to the woman before but the Spartan IVs seemed to have a good record so she must be competent.

Palmer smiled and leaned a bit against the table. "You're Kelly, Spartan-087?" Kelly nodded. "I'm Commander Sarah Palmer, head of the Spartan IVs."

"I know who you are. I've been stealing the best of your trainees for my Rabbits." Kelly grabbed her apple. "How can I help you?"

"That you have, but I don't mind. I think you're making my Spartans better with these Rabbits." Palmer smiled and Kelly felt it was genuine enthusiastic. "You know I'd never really heard of you before I made an inquiry." Kelly shrugged, having never been big on being known by people. "I saw you and the other Spartan IIs training in the holo-chamber."

"Yeah, that thing is useful. When we were training we had to go to different planets in order to train in different terrain. The holo-chamber allows a wide variety of terrain all right here." Kelly liked the possibilities that the chamber offered. It also allowed groups of soldiers to practice killing enemies without actually killing each other.

"Yes it is useful but watching you and that sniper, Linda, brought up a question to me. Why don't I know much about you two? I read your file, you both have an impressive history, so why do I never hear about either of you?"

"You probably didn't hear much about Fred either but he's the head of the Spartan IIs now. They've never really liked naming Spartans in the press." Kelly had grown used to looking at pictures and only having their team name or just a mention that some Spartans were awarded some award.

"But everyone knows the Master Chief," Palmer countered. "I've never heard about his steady second-in-command."

Kelly shrugged, not really sure what to say. "The Master Chief has done a lot on his own. The Alpha and Delta Halo, The Flood, and the Ark. We were away from him during those times so he was the Spartan people rallied around. We didn't abandon him by choice but things don't always work out the way you want them to."

"But any Spartan could have done what he did. I saw you guys fighting, any if any one of you had been in that situation you would have been able to do it," Palmer asserted. "What makes him so special?"

"John has always been lucky," Kelly explained. "Any of us could have done what he did, but we probably would have died. I believe John's luck saves him during things like that. I could have made the run to the Longswords in time but the others likely wouldn't. John just barely made it and I'm sure it's because of his luck." Kelly frowned looking down at the table. "I'm sure his luck saved him on the Ark as well."

"But does that really make him so special? I mean, I'd rather rely on skill to survive, not luck." Palmer frowned. "You really think he survived?"

"Absolutely," Kelly assured her. "I don't think I know he did. I've known John since I was six and I assure you that when I say he's alive he is."

"All right, I accept that he is alive," Palmer relented. "Though luck doesn't explain why it is he gets all the attention."

Kelly considered what she said for a moment. "John has always gotten the most attention. He was our squad leader, Halsey always seemed to focus on him, and he always refused to let anyone take the risks."

"But that's not exactly fair," Palmer voiced. "Squad leaders aren't always all that important, I don't see why the opinion of a war criminal should matter, and why reward him for not giving you a chance to shine?"

Kelly frowned, a bit confused. "I've never cared that John had all the attention. Why do you care so much?"

Palmer hesitated for a moment before answering. "I lead all of the Spartan IVs, not exactly an easy task. I have a good record but I'm stuck in the Master Chief's shadow. Not just because he's a legend but because he's a man. Have you realized that only one of your teams, Black Team, has had a female leader. 117, 006, 092, and 104. All of them men. How many of them have women backing them up?"

"All of them. Both John and Fred have been backed up by me, Jerome had Alice, and Jai had Adriana." Kelly frowned for a moment. "I was actually John's third in command but Sam died after our first encounter with the Covenant so I took the post of second."

"Seriously?" Palmer asked, surprised. "But you're an amazing fighter, you showed great strategy, and you beat the others in the game. How could you not be his second-in-command from the start?"

"I won that game because I stalked Fred, let Linda take down his shields, and killed him while moving between cover too fast for Linda. It wasn't all that hard." Kelly had found it easy to take advantage of what she knew about her teammates to win.

"My point is why didn't you, or Linda, leading Teams? You're just as good as the men. Have you ever even had a chance to lead?" Palmer asked.

Kelly thought the question through. "The Rabbits are the only thing I've ever really led and I haven't led them in combat yet," Kelly admitted. "I was always on Blue Team."

"Then let me ask about Reach. If you were good enough to be the Master Chief's second-in-command then why couldn't you lead Red Team on Reach?" Palmer was starting to become more energetic and passionate about the topic.

Kelly frowned, not liking the question. She didn't have a good answer as to why she hadn't been Red Leader. She put down the apple she'd forgotten in her hand. "I don't know," she admitted.

"If women like you had a chance to lead or the world even knew who you were they would see that although the Master Chief did a lot he's just a Spartan, and maybe I wouldn't have so many vultures ready to attack me for any problem and want to replace me with a man." Palmer's words were bitter and Kelly got the idea that being looked down on for being a woman wasn't anything new.

"You know, I never noticed all that about the genders. Things were always that way and I never really questioned it." Kelly now felt like she'd failed. For years had she really been allowing herself to be discriminated against? She didn't thing John was discriminating, at least not on purpose but only the males had ever really been given a chance to lead other than Black Team. Were the males really that much better than the women or was there a prejudice against the women. "I've never really questioned if they treated us differently than the men."

"Do you really thing Miranda would have been given a ship so young if her father weren't famous? I'm starting to think I was just chosen because they were getting heat about it, which is why they are already looking to replace me. Let me ask you something, do you thing the Master Chief would dislike being under your command because you are a woman?"

That was one question that Kelly knew the answer to. "The only reason he would ever be uncomfortable taking commands from me would be if I were a lower rank than him. John...well in combat he doesn't look at me differently than any other Spartan."

Palmer raised an eyebrow. "So then how does he look at you when you're out of combat?"

Kelly inwardly cursed, annoyed with herself for letting that slip. She hoped she could still cover it. "He looks at me like he looks at no other Spartan. He is my best friend and I've always been his. I met him on the very first day of training and we've been friends ever sense…well the day after the first day as the first day he screwed us over and made us go hungry because he was selfish."

"Sure, I completely buy that." Palmer smirked and Kelly knew she had accepted the diversion. "Don't worry, I won't tell, besides he's MIA."

"Every Spartan that isn't currently here on Earth is active, all others are missing," Kelly muttered. Silence fell between them and Kelly finally stood up. "I need to go, I should check on the Rabbits." She paused for a moment. "You know they have nothing on you. The Spartan IVs are effective and you're leading them. Let the vultures circle, they're fools for targeting a healthy, strong soldier." Palmer smiled and stood, saluting. Kelly returned the salute before grabbing her tray and taking it to the trash. She tossed most of her food keeping her apple and putting the tray with the others. Kelly left the mess hall, heading to the holo-chamber to check on how well the Rabbits were doing.


	173. Leader Talk

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Palmer/Lasky**

**Title: Leader Talk**

John sat in the empty mess hall of _Infinity_, happy to find one place to have solitude. The one thing that was more difficult to deal with than the Covenant and a living Forerunner was a giant ship with a large number of Spartan IVs, who all wanted a chance to talk to him. He only had peace right now because they were all in training in some sort of holographic simulation room. That meant for now the mess hall was empty of all but him.

"Well, well, the great Master Chief sitting all alone." John looked up to see Palmer walking toward his table. Not a woman he was particularly happy to see. It wasn't that John didn't like Palmer but she could be abrasive and he wasn't in the mood for her kind of attitude. "Why you sitting alone, big man?"

"I wanted some time to myself," John answered simply. "This space was empty." He hoped she'd get the hint and leave him be. He had just lost the last of his teammates, Cortana, and he wanted time to think about his lost friends, all of them.

"Broken up over that AI of yours? You do know she was a program and you can't really date a bunch of code. Well, an egg head can but that's because they can't get real girls. You can get plenty of real girls." There was a bit of a suggestive tone to her words which made him uncomfortable.

"Cortana was my friend, and the last of my friends. They told me about Doctor Halsey, Blue Team isn't on board and I know what that means, they're gone as well, and Cortana is gone. If you don't mind I'd like to have time to myself." John scowled behind his helmet, hoping that being blunt would get her to leave him be.

Palmer didn't even seem to realize. "You are a sulky one. I've served twelve tours during the war, I know what it's like to lose friends. You get used to it, get over it, and make new ones."

"They weren't just friends." John couldn't help the threatening tone in his voice. The idea that some teammates that Palmer maybe knew for a few missions at all was the same as the Spartans, who John knew since he was six, annoyed him. "I lost my best friend in the first year and now I've lost the last of my friends, not to mention my..." John shut his mouth, keeping himself from saying something he'd regret. Though what was there to protect anymore? "I would like to be left alone," he tried again.

Palmer ignored him again. "Tell me about these Spartans." Palmer leaned forward and crossed her arms on the table. "I know who the members of your former team are, and I've always wanted to know more. You answer my questions and I'll answer yours." John frowned but decided he couldn't pass up a chance to get some answers. Because he'd been missing for so long he didn't have access to a lot of systems as they were all classified. John finally nodded, agreeing. "Wonderful, so how about we start with Linda. I heard she was a great sniper but what was she like? I did hear a few rumors about you and her. Any of them true?"

"She wasn't great, she was the best. I've seen her snipe the pilots out of speeding banshees." John remembered First Strike, the mission that had taken Grace and introduced him to Brutes. "As for what she was like, she was cold, distant, but she was still like a sister to me. Linda just worked better on her own, as close to a lone wolf as there was in the Spartans."

"But in the final months of the war, the Halos and the Ark, you did all of that on your own," Palmer pointed out.

"Not by choice. We had to flee Reach and I had to leave all my friends there. Linda was dead in a cryo tube and the other Spartan that had gone on the space op with me was gone. My team was there for First Strike and I couldn't have done it without them. When we got back to Earth I was taken to a ceremony for actions on Halo and from then on the rest of Blue Team was simply deployed somewhere else. We didn't think we'd find a Halo when we chased Regret and when I got back the rest of the Spartans had gone off on a mission without me. I'm not sure if it was luck or not that they weren't with me."

"I get what you mean. The sort of 'if they were with me it would have been easy but they might be dead' dilemma. Well the past is the past and you get to ask a question," Palmer reminded him.

John considered the many questions he had, but he could only ask one of them for now. "The Spartans here are IVs, but my class was IIs. We're there IIIs?"

"Sure were, and they were worse then you guys kidnapped at six. The IIIs were orphans from the war that were trained for way shorter time, some going into the war before they were even teens. They were large classes, and usually sent on sort of suicidal missions. Very few of the hundreds of them that served are still alive." Palmer frowned, obviously disapproving of it. "My turn. Tell me about Fred. He led the Spartans after you. What was he like?"

"Fred was a good man. He would have been the greatest Spartan but he didn't like the focus being on him. He was a good leader but always took it so seriously. Second guessing choices and it would lead to slip ups. He's got a good heart though, was a good friend, and a determined Spartan." John had to admit it felt good to talk about the Spartans. He missed them, and he regretted not getting to say goodbye, but he still enjoyed talking about them. "If there was one person who could lead the Spartans other than me it would be Fred."

"He was a Lieutenant Junior grade when the war ended," Palmer informed him. "He has one of the best records. Even I was impressed, over one-hundred-twenty battles. So he was better than you? Even in intimate situation?" John knew what she was doing, she was trying to flirt but in the sort of crude manner that marines did with other soldiers. It wasn't always serious and although Palmer was suggesting things he didn't feel like she was really trying to hit on him.

John nodded, satisfied with that information. If anyone had deserved and could handle being an officer it was Fred. "Now my question. When I went into cryo we had a truce with the Covenant. What happened?"

"We didn't have a truce with the Covenant, just your buddy the Arbiter. Long story short, they're split. Those that are on the Arbiter's side and want peace and those that still want to kill us. What we found on Requiem weren't Arbiter allies. Now, tell me about your second-in-command, Kelly."

John froze at the mention of Kelly. The enjoyment from talking about his old friends vanished, replaced by the sorrow of the realization he'd never see Kelly again. "I don't want to talk about her."

"Odd, because when I met her she was more than happy to talk about you." John's gaze shot back up to Palmer. She had met Kelly?

"When, where?" John asked, unable keep his voice from being eager. He knew that he was too emotionally compromised by all the loss in order to hide it so he decided not to. Kelly was gone and they couldn't get mad at him for a past relationship. "Please," he added.

"I met her some years back when they were shown the Spartan IVs. From the way she and Lasky talk about you I expected you to be ten feet tall. Or maybe it wasn't height that Kelly had been talking about." Palmer smirked suggestively. "She came in and showed up all of my Spartan IVs." Oddly there wasn't the bitter tone to her voice.

"You seem happy about that," John observed. "What happened?" He admitted to himself that he wanted any information he could get, any hint as to what Kelly had done before whatever had taken her from him for good.

"I met her several times, we sort of became friendly, and she told me all kinds of things when we would talk. She showed up my soldiers the first time I saw her and she was amazing. She told me about this Spartan III she knew who she said was just like you, but was an actual loner. She said that Spartan III was just a kid compared to the Spartan IVs and if that Spartan III could be as good as a Spartan II, then so could my Spartan IVs. We talked about the inequalities in the military and how hard it is to be a female Spartan. She told me some stories about you."

"That was always Kelly's skill. Not her speed but the fact that she was still so human. She always had the right words or actions. She could make friends with anyone. I loved that about her." John turned his gaze to the table. "I loved a lot about her."

"Yeah, I got that feeling from her. There's a way that people talk about those they're screwing, and that was how she was talking. Not to mention she just blankly stared at one of the fours when they tried to hit on her. That sort of forceful 'I'm taken now leave me alone' look." Palmer laughed. "Poor guy was scared silent."

"I've never really thought of Kelly as being scary," John admitted. Though, when he thought of it, if Kelly wanted to she could probably kill him. She was fast enough she could probably stab him before he could react, though he knew she never would.

"Maybe she just isn't scary to you. To a Spartan IV she's a seven-foot-tall, faster than they can understand, walking tank in battle armor. You don't see her as scary because to you she's Kelly, the woman you're in love with. You probably don't have to look up to look her in the eyes, do you?"

"No, I'm taller than her, but she'd never been intimidated by me," John answered.

"Well no woman is ever afraid of the man she's sleeping with, well as long as he's not abusive but I can't see you raising a violent hand against her, not that you could probably touch her," Palmer reasoned.

"I would only ever spar against her, though for that she did have to slow herself or else no one would ever stand a chance." John smiled a bit. It felt good to be focusing on the good times. "Is Lasky ever afraid of you?"

"Plenty, but that's because he's not really a front line guy. He's not afraid that I'll ever turn my skills on him, just sort of not used to how violent I can be against my enemies." Palmer shook her head a bit. "We're we that obvious?"

John shook his head. "He said your first name, and it was the way he said it," John explained. "Though you might want to wear your helmet. Those glances toward Lasky will be harder to notice."

Palmer let out an amused snort. "You know you have a question to ask."

John considered the question that was on his mind and feared asking it. He feared what possible ends they had met so he focused on something else. "How did you get Lasky command of _Infinity_? Will they find a new Captain or let Lasky keep it?"

"We made our report to FLEETCOM and Lasky put in his objections to Del Rio's orders. When push comes to shove Lasky is a good leader, keeping calm under pressure. He's a bit protective, always telling me to be careful when I go into a fight, but he's the best leader to handle the responsibility of _Infinity_. I'm sure that they'll recognize his actions and, maybe with the good word of a couple Spartans, they'll realize that he's the right man to command _Infinity_." John nodded, understanding what she meant. He made a note to mention Lasky's excellent leadership in his report. Now my question," Palmer said as she grinned. "I've had this question for a while and Kelly couldn't answer it. Why didn't you put her in charge of Red Team on Reach?"

John shook his head. "She wouldn't have known why. We often can't see our own faults or what might be possible problems. I split myself from Kelly for the first time in years. She'd always been at my side and I knew that she would be distracted. I know that not having her on my team for the space op felt odd but I put her on the planet because I thought she would be safer there." John tapped his finger on the table. "I'll also admit that I was so used to putting Fred in command he was the obvious choice. Why?"

Palmer shrugged. "How many female leaders can you think of, and I don't mean sit behind a desk leaders, I mean leaders like military leaders?"

John paused for a second and thought it through. "Miranda Keyes, the leader of Black team, and you. I can think of a few marines but I don't remember any of their names."

"Now think of how many male leaders you can think of," Palmer instructed. John thought of Fred, Jerome, Kurt, Keyes, Johnson, Lord Hood, Lasky, Vice Admiral Stanforth, Whitcomb, and himself. "Notice how many more of them there are than the women?" Palmer crossed her arms and scowled. "Notice how big of a difference there is?"

John frowned, not having ever really thought about that. "I never really noticed that. Are you saying you think that there has been discrimination in the UNSC?"

"Kelly told me she didn't think you had ever discriminated but yeah, I'm saying that the way they give out command is biased to your gender," Palmer answered.

"I would never treat the female Spartans differently than the males. I will admit that those given command were a much higher percentage male but that was not the choosing of any of the Spartans. I gave people command based on skill, not gender," John asserted.

"Except for Kelly," Palmer countered. "Didn't want your little rabbit getting too far away? Wanted to keep her close in case you got in the mood?" The Commander grinned.

John was a bit annoyed by the tease. He knew she didn't really mean to insult him but he felt an anger at being accused of only caring about Kelly for her body. "I love Kelly, and I kept her close because that was where she belonged. She was the Spartan I trusted the most at my back, and she was creative, saw the things I might miss. The first time we were on a Covenant craft and we came to a door I was just going to force it open but she thought of using the door controls. That was why I needed her with me. She was the best second-in-command a leader could have, even Fred found it obvious when he made her his Red Two on Reach," John argued. "She deserves to be treated with more respect than to be talked about like I owned her. She was an amazing soldier and an amazing woman you were honored enough to speak to." John didn't known why he didn't just stop himself but the idea of the woman he loved, who he was sure gave her life valiantly in a fight, would be disrespected just wasn't something he could let continue. Palmer was still smiling happily at him and it annoyed him more. "What?"

Palmer shrugged. "Just a bit jealous. I don't think Lasky would ever speak about me with that kind of passion. Kelly is a lucky woman." John froze having caught that one word. She'd said that Kelly was lucky in a present tense, meaning that she was still lucky.

John felt a spike of hope but he pushed it down, knowing it was just one word and it didn't mean anything. "My question," he remembered. He hesitated for just a fraction of a second before pushing forward. "What happened to Blue Team?"

"That's a long story," Palmer said about to start into the story but stopped. She looked over John's shoulder. "You need something, Tom? The Chief and I were just having a moment."

Lasky moved over to the table, looking uncomfortable. "Fleet wants a report from you," he informed Palmer.

Palmer nodded and turned to John. "Maybe they'll finally let us off this ship then you can show me how skilled you are. She told me you weren't any better than any of the other Spartans."

John shook his head. "I'm about average in all areas so I'm one of the most balanced Spartans, and they always said I was the most lucky, but Spartans aren't meant to be alone. Two Spartans will always be better than one, even better if you can have an entire squad," John explained. "Any Spartan will rise to whatever challenge they are up against, the way things worked out it just happened to be me, probably because of my luck."

"What are you two talking about?" Lasky asked.

"Nothing, Tom. I'm going to go make that report." Palmer nodded to John. "Nice talking to you." She stood and started to leave.

"Wait, you didn't answer the question," John reminded her. He wanted to know what had happened to his team. He still didn't have a definitive answer to if they were alive or not.

Palmer didn't stop walking. "Wait till we get to the planet and you have access to the files. You should find out on your own." With that she was gone.

"I'm sorry about her," Lasky spoke up. "She's a bit rough around the edges but overall she's really a nice person. I think she likes you though because she seems to insult you less then when I first met her," Lasky observed.

"That's her being friendly?" John asked. He supposed she had never been outright rude to him. She seemed to just be a marine, one who treated him the same as any other soldier, which he wasn't used to. She'd teased and poked fun at him but only a couple of her comments had upset him.

"Yeah, doesn't always seem friendly but she doesn't mean most of it. You learn her attitude and humor and it becomes more obvious," Lasky explained. "So what didn't she tell you?"

"She didn't tell me if someone very important to me was alive or not," John answered.

"Well once we get down to Earth I'm sure they'll catch you up on everything and answer any questions you have," the Commander assured him.

"I hope so, sir," John turned his gaze to the table. "Is there anything else, sir?"

"No, I'm going to go see how the sweep is going. See if we can get off this ship by time soon." Lasky moved away and John was left with his thoughts and memories. He hoped beyond what was logical that his luck had held out and they were alive. After all, he still had a few promises he hadn't kept.


	174. Lover Talk

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Lover Talk**

John collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily. Kelly draped herself over his chest, attempting to catch her breath as well. The two Spartans just focused on evening out their breathing for a bit, lying together in silence. Kelly was the first to manage words. "Where did you learn that?"

John smiled, a bit proud. "I have access to the net. It's not that hard to search for new things." John ran his hand up her back slowly until he reached the scar. He traced over the damaged tissue absently as he managed to get his breathing fully back to normal.

Kelly chuckled and made herself more comfortable on his chest. "Well at least it's giving you better advice than the ODST." Kelly laughed at the memories from when marines had misled him.

"It's not that funny," John argued. "It was actually Palmer that made the suggestion. Well more of she insinuated that it was how Lasky came up with new things. I think she was trying to make another pass at me." John frowned and turned his mind to other matters. "Palmer is a bit of an odd woman. She said you and she had talked a few times."

"Yeah, we get along pretty well. Linda thinks she looks to me as a sort of role model for being a female Spartan. I don't know where she got that idea." Kelly started to run a hand over his arm. "She gave me some new views on things I've lived with my entire life, though."

John hesitated for a moment before asking his question. "Kelly, did I ever discriminate against you? I thought I always was fair but I don't think I would have known if I wasn't."

"John, you would never discriminate against me, I know that for sure. I don't know about the inequality in leaders for sure but it doesn't seem like it's illogical that only men can properly command a ship." Kelly shook her head. "The only place I'm sure there was no discrimination is under your command." Kelly placed a light kiss on his bare chest. "You are the one constant I am always sure of."

John smiled and moved his hand lower on her back. "You know she said you said I was average in all situations. I expect that you've changed your mind?"

"First, I only told her you were average for a Spartan, and I was talking about combat skills. You know I'd never share with her how good you are in bed. She hits on you enough." Kelly settled on his chest, resting her head over his heart. "Besides she asked the wrong question just like everyone else."

"What wrong question did she ask?" John inquired.

"She asked if any Spartan _could_ have done the same thing. It's the same question I get asked when I tell people you were average skilled at everything. What they should be asking is _would_."

John frowned and considered the two questions. "I don't understand the difference, or why one is wrong and the other correct."

Kelly sighed and cuddled a more against him. "People don't like hearing that you, a legendary soldier, was just average, even if you are still a Spartan. They want to hear that you were the most skilled at every field, the pinnacle of training and the most skilled at everything. They particularly don't like when I tell them that I had to go easy on you in fights for you to stand a chance." Kelly's fingers moved over his chest, absently drawing pictures and tracing scars. "The thing is if they would ask 'would any Spartan do what you did' then they would get the answer they all want. Any Spartan could physically do the same thing as you but alone we'd all take different paths in the situation."

"How exactly would that give them the answer they want? Wouldn't every Spartan try to stop the Flood and destroy the Halos?" John asked.

"I don't mean in such a broad sense. Think more in the context of small actions that change the bigger ones. Take Fred for example. He would have hesitated to do things like blow up the Halo and Ark because of how many people were still on them. I think he'd still do it in the end but that moment of hesitation might make all the difference. If it's Linda she could do what you did but she wouldn't be as comfortable with fighting up close and there are a number of events that would change because if that. Even I would have done things differently. Worst case scenario would be because I would be so unfamiliar with not working with a team I'd probably get myself horribly injured early on and not be able to even have destroyed the Halo," Kelly explained.

"I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. The Rabbits are proof that you can be a leader and show restraint when needed. I think you would have done just fine in my place. Anyway all of these lines of thought are pointless. I was the one who ended up on the Halo and that's what caused all the other things. The only reason you weren't with me through it was because Halsey knew that she had a chance to steal you and you were the best she could take." Kelly lifted her head and shot him a puzzled look. "I was commanding the Spartans, so she wouldn't take me. Fred wasn't injured but he'd be a bad choice anyway as he'd have doubts over what you were doing. She had access to both you and Linda and she was smart enough to know you were the only right choice. You're a perfectly trained soldier, you're fast on your feet and to take action, and you're the most reliable soldier. Not to mention that if she had gone to save the Spartan III she'd need a Spartan that was the most human, that would understand wanting to save them, and the most human of us is you."

"You're just trying to butter me up so I'll let you have a second round, aren't you," Kelly teased. She pulled herself up a bit and started to place kisses on her neck.

John smiled, enjoying the relaxing feel of the conversation and her affection. "The only way Halsey could have been smarter would be to have taken me as well. After all we're meant to be a set. One without the other is like having only one bookend. Sure you can manage with just one but you have to have the shelf near a wall, or use some other object that just doesn't match. You could lean he books a bit sideways but then every time you take a book then they all fall down and you can't organize them properly so it doesn't really work." Maybe he was buttering her up a bit but it wasn't like he was lying. He'd figured out that one of the things that made Kelly happy was the stating of facts about her or the both of them.

"All right, I think you've won me over." Kelly pulled herself up a bit more and she started to kiss his neck with more force while her hands started to move over his skin. "So, when do they put you back on active duty? Once they do you'll be more busy and we won't have as much time to do this anymore."

John wrapped his arms around her, feeling a reluctance to give up this sort of intimate time together. During the war it had been John's lifeline to the human in him and he was just now getting used to getting it back. He pulled her up enough so that their lips could meet before his hands moved to her face, pulling her away from him. She smiled down at him and he returned the smile. He let out a long breath before speaking. "What if I didn't go back to duty?"

Kelly propped herself up a bit and looked at him, surprised and confused. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't you go back on duty?"

"Well I had a meeting with some Admirals yesterday and they made an offer for me to retire," John explained. Kelly was still looking at him, confused. "If I retired maybe they'd let me keep my promise to you."

Kelly frowned at him. "Answer me a question and be honest, John. Would you be happy if you weren't a soldier? Would you be happy retiring?"

John considered the question, trying to figure out how to answer. "I might miss combat, and I don't know what I would do with my free time, but I want to keep my promise. If it's the only way to do it I would be happy to retire. I am tired, Kelly. The last months of the war and Requiem really had tired me out. If I could have you, I'd give it up. Not to mention maybe they'd even let us have a family."

Kelly frowned and John could see the sad look on her face. "John, we won't ever have a family, and we don't have to be married. I'll let you out of that promise, no hard feelings. I just want you to be happy so I don't want you giving up being a soldier for unimportant things or what can't be."

John's mind was trying to make sense of what she'd just said. How did she know that they could never have a family? Why was she letting him out of a promise when she had been the one that insisted he keep them? He came to the conclusion that she must have learned that she was sterile, or had been sterilized, though he wasn't sure which, and to soften the blow of the news she was offering him the chance to back down from a promise. "I don't want to be let out of my promise, I want to keep it. I wouldn't have made it if I didn't really want it. We could still have a family, adopt a child in need."

Kelly shook her head and she lay down on him and curled up as much as she could against him. John wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "You've been gone, John. You don't know what they've been saying. We apparently aren't fit to be parents." John saw her wrap her arms around her stomach.

John ran his hand over her arm. He could tell that something had really upset her. "Kelly, what's wrong?" She didn't answer, just stayed curled up against him. John moved them so that she was under him, causing her to look up at him. Her arms suddenly wrapped around his neck and she hugged herself close to him. "Kelly, what happened?" he asked.

Kelly clung to him a bit tighter. She said something but it was muffled against his shoulder. John forced her to move away from him enough that he could hear her. He could see tears gathering in her eyes and it felt a fear he hadn't felt in a long time. He hadn't seen her cry in years and it took a lot to get her to cry. "They wouldn't let me keep him," she finally said.

John didn't understand the words at first, only aware that she was now crying. John kissed her cheeks, trying to remove the tears. He moved to her side and pulled her closer to him, trying to comfort the woman. He still didn't understand who she was talking about or what had her so upset.

John waited until she'd calmed down a bit before he felt it was okay to ask her anything. "Kelly, who didn't you get to keep?"

Kelly was still clinging to him for support. "They didn't let me keep Sam." John frowned, not understanding. Sam had died a long time ago at the start of the war. She must have known he would be confused. "You gave me more than a promise to stay alive before we went into combat on Reach."

John felt a weight in his chest. He understood that enough to know what had happened. He held her tighter to him, feeling a sudden loss; one of someone he hadn't even known existed. "Why didn't they let you keep him?"

"Because we're faulty people." Kelly's voice was angry and her nails dug a bit into his skin. "Apparently because they think we're screwed up we can't have a family."

John held her for a while, his mind working. In a couple minutes he'd learned that he had a family but the organization that he had trusted the most had killed that. It was a hard thing to hear, even harder seeing how much it had hurt Kelly. "What exactly happened to...him?"

Kelly had relaxed in his arm, partially because she had calmed down and partially from exhaustion. "I managed to get them to let me carry him all the way through but once he was born they gave him away." There was a bitter tone to her voice. "Gave him to some other people who were friends of an Admiral. I know they only let him be born so they can study him, find out what a Spartan child is like." John ran his hand over her hair, trying to calm her. He was already planning, trying to find a way around the problem. "There's nothing we can do about it so we just have to be happy how we are."

John shook his head. "No, we don't have to settle. That is a bad order, one I can't follow. There is nothing wrong with us, we'd be fine parents. We should be able to have one if we want to. Did they sterilize you?" Kelly shook her head. "Then what's standing in our way? Do they really think they can take a child away from two highly trained, strong Spartans?"

"John, It's against the rules," Kelly argued.

"So is what we just did, sleeping together isn't allowed for us but we ignore that. Kelly, you are one thing in this world I would break rules for." Kelly smiled at him and curled her arms around his neck again. "I promise to find a way around the rules, a way to have what we want."

Kelly grinned at him. "A perfectly balanced combat skill set, handsome, skilled with strategy, and a sweet, loving man. You are certainly a perfect Spartan."

"That would only be because of you. If I didn't have you to love I probably would have tossed that emotional part away." John gave her a quick kiss. "I told you we're a pair." He hugged her closer and she snuggled against his chest as they settled in to sleep. John would tackle this new problem after he'd gotten a bit of sleep and had time for his mind to come up with an solution.


	175. Shadow

**Pairing: Kathleen/Shadow Blade  
**

**Title: Shadow**

Kathleen stared out at the water, amazed at how something so universal still seemed alien on this planet. She stared down at her reflection, the annoying Mark VI helmet looking back at her. She looked over to the Sangheili face in the water, the curious look on his face. It was hard to read expressions on a Sangheili face, though she was sure they thought the same of humans. She knew he was curious from the slight twitch if his mandibles and the fact his eyes weren't narrowed. If his eyes were narrowed it would have been agitation, at least as far as she understood.

The alien knelt down and scooped up the liquid. "Water." Kathleen switched off her translator and motioned for him to repeat it. This time she heard the word in his language, a word she wasn't even sure a human mouth could manage. Still, she gave it a shot. She stumbled over a few sounds and the Sangheili repeated the word more slowly. They did this a couple times before Kathleen managed a half intelligible version of the word.

Kathleen switched back on her translator. "The word is a bit hard for my mouth to manage," she admitted. "Is what I said even all that understandable?"

"It was a clear word, at least enough I could understand it. I know that with enough time you can learn the language, just like a true Sangheili," Blade assured her. "Now, teach me the word in your language."

Kathleen waited until he'd turned off his translator. She repeated the word several times, correcting him a bit each time until he finally managed the word. Kathleen was a bit impressed at how easily he seemed to get it, but then again it was just one word. Still, with only two mandibles it was a bit more impressive that he managed even the Sangheili words.

Kathleen sat down on the grass and stared out at the water. Blade sat down beside her though he had to sit with his legs out to prevent his legs from having to be forced in an odd angle. To Kathleen it looked silly but she supposed it was the only way he was comfortable. They sat in silence for a while just watching the water.

"You know for a planet of warriors I didn't think there would be peaceful places like this," Kathleen admitted. "It's actually pretty beautiful here. I also didn't think that your main Keep would be made of stone. Guess I just always thought everything you had was metal."

"Our Keeps are still as they once were. Much of our planet is, other than our military weapons," Blade explained. "The Prophets did not taint our home, though they have made things more difficult. Now we are split in three ways, though who are setting their sights on the future. The ones who hate humanity, and those that are religious are against those want to focus on our own species, surviving." Blade growled slightly. "Short sighted fools."

"Well, every species has them, and infighting. Humanity has it too, only really slowed because we were fighting you guys. Hell even our own military." Blade's head tilted to the side and Kathleen sighed. "You promise not to tell anyone else what I'm about to talk to you about?"

"Demon, we are having a conversation, warrior-to-warrior. Whatever you say can stay between us if that is what you wish," Blade placed his hand on his left breast. "I swear it to you on my honor as a warrior."

Kathleen hesitated, not sure if she could actually trust him but she figured that if she couldn't trust him then who could she trust? "Well there have always been rivalries between the branches of our military. Think of it like the different species that were the Covenant. There are those, like you guys that are the best that there are, which for us is the ODST." Blade nodded, indicating that he understood the concept. "You always call me Demon, the same thing that your people call the Spartans. The thing is, I hate the Spartans."

Blade stared at her as he contemplated what she was telling him. "So, this is like if I were to say that I hate the Sangheili. How can you hate what you are?"

"I'm not a Spartan, Blade. Maybe I have everything they have but my soldiers have never called themselves Spartans. We're ODSS, not the same as the Spartans you call demons." Kathleen pulled her knees up and put her arms around her legs. "When you look at my team are they the same to you as I am?"

Blade shook his head. "They do not wear the same armor, possess the same strength, or command the same air of authority as you do. Other than that I don't see much of a difference rather than your armor."

"That's not how my people see us. They see me as a Spartan and my soldiers as just ODST. Well, once the Spartan IVs get out there they'll probably see them differently but that's still different from a Spartan like me," Kathleen tried to explain. "I don't want that. I want to be seen as the same as my soldiers. The thing is the Spartans are the icons of the UNSC. I hate the Spartans for that, for the fact that because they exist I will never be considered the same as my soldiers."

Blade seemed to be struggling to understand. "But would that not be like me saying that I hate my own species?"

Kathleen shook her head. "No, it would be like you saying you hate the honor guards. I don't hate humanity, just the Spartans. You know they make me wear that armor, I don't like it. I want armor like my soldiers. I don't want to be seen as different. Hell, the augmentations that make me so strong, I don't want those either." Kathleen stared at the water, watching the wind cause the water to ripple. "You know when I was training to be a Spartan all I ever wanted to be was an ODST, as good as my parents, something that if they looked at me they would be proud."

"You do not feel that your family would be proud of you? You have survived a hard war, made friends with the enemy, and trained the greatest soldiers. What is there for them not to be proud of?" Blade asked.

"Because my strength isn't all my own. When they augmented us they gave us strength, speed, senses, and intelligence that we didn't earn, they just forced it on us. My soldiers earned everything they have and so did my parents." Kathleen sighed and lay back on the grass. "The Spartans didn't earn their strength but still my soldiers will always be in their shadow. There was a time when kids grew up hoping to be ODST, not Spartans. I miss those days."

"I feel as though all of these things seem to be in your head. You earned your strength, no matter what. A great Sangheili can be born with strength but it's learning to use it properly and with honor must be earned through training. They may have given you strength but you earned the ability to use it, the honor brought by using it properly." Blade looked toward the water. "I cannot say that there has ever been a Sangheili child who has grown up hoping to be a Shadow. They usually grow up hoping that Shadows are just a myth."

Kathleen wasn't really sure if she believed any of that stuff about it having been earned but she didn't think he'd ever convince her. "I always say that I don't care that people see us as something they want to be, but I don't like it. My soldiers should stand on their own, not forever cast in the shadows of the Spartans."

"It's not bad being in shadows." Blade leaned a bit toward her and his mandibles spread just a little more. Kathleen stared at him a moment before she finally understood he was smiling after having made a joke about the name of his team. "In the shadow you are free to be yourself, no matter what that is. Violent, blasphemous, or whatever you want to be, you can be so in the shadows. These Spartans must be what they need to be for those that look to them. Can you say that your soldiers would be what most people would want their kids to aspire to?"

Kathleen considered that and shrugged. "I think the original idea would be. The idea of natural soldiers who are the best, just as good as Spartans, but not my particular team's attitude. We're more of the people that are seen as a drain on society. Not really role models."

"I like being in the shadows. I am vacant of any faith in the Forerunners, and for so long I had to try to hide it, just showing that I wasn't fanatical. I still had to follow the religious rites and customs, no matter how stupid. Take the Honor Guards for instance. When the Prophets betrayed out species they killed themselves in their shame for having protected the Prophets. It was a stupid thing to do. They are great warriors, and they just throw their lives away."

"What else could they do? Isn't death the only way to make up for shame like that?" Kathleen only had a loose understanding of Sangheili honor culture but she understood that a shamed elite lost everything.

"They have other options. The Arbiter was shamed greater than any elite. He failed to protect the first Halo and the blame was put on him. It is why he became Arbiter. It was once a honored position but the Prophets made it a last ditch effort for the shamed to regain their honor. It has returned to its old ways, before the Prophets ruined our culture." Blade turned his head away from her and Kathleen just watched him. "Much of our culture needs to return to the old ways. I would like though, if we could find a diplomatic branch of our culture." His gaze turned back to her. "Though if my Kiadon has anything to say about it then diplomacy will be a part of our future."

"Well I hope so. My species would prefer diplomacy, I think, and I know I would. I'd rather not have to kill all your species just because they can't learn to work with us." Kathleen stood and Blade stood with her. "Come one, it's time you answer the question I've had for a long time." Blade looked at her confused. "I want to know what the hell you eat with a mouth like that." Blade laughed and motioned for her to follow before he led her back toward the Keep.


	176. Machine

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Machine**

John was distracted as he walked into the Spartan barracks. His mind was still focused on the taunts of the soldiers when he'd been heading toward the labs to have his armor removed. He was used to people muttering and calling him names but something annoyed him this time, he just couldn't put his finger on what.

"Someone's in a deep, pensive mood." John turned around to face Kelly as she spoke. She leaned up and placed a light kiss on his cheek. John shifted uncomfortably, not used to the public shows of affection. Sure they were alone in the barracks at the moment but to him it was still public. "Calm down, John. No one can see us."

"Anyone could come around," John argued. "We could go somewhere private if you wish to continue a path of affection."

Kelly sighed and shook her head. "No, you kind of killed the flow. Sometimes I wish you could be more relaxed. I love who you are John, but this stuff isn't your strong point."

John frowned, not sure if he should be offended. He decided that it was true he wasn't good at being in a relationship and let it go. He would focus instead on improvement. "How did I kill the flow?"

"It was the way you worded it. There's something that's just unappealing about the term 'path of affection'. You should have said something more appealing. Like: if you'd like to go somewhere more intimate I'm sure we could find a place to be alone." As she spoke Kelly raised her hand and placed it on his chest.

John looked down to her hand and he felt the familiar desire she caused in him rise up. It was a bit harder to push down since they'd been intimate and with her hand still on him. He was able to push down the urge to pull her against him but it was still there in the back of his mind, tempting him to act on it. "Yes, I'd like to." He would like a time alone with her at the moment. When they were alone he felt more comfortable with openly talking to her. Maybe she'd be able to help him understand what had bothered him. He often found that her third party view helped him understand his own thoughts.

Kelly studied him for a moment before speaking. "You don't want intimacy." It wasn't a question but a statement. John would have been annoyed with how easily she read him but it tended to be more helpful than troublesome.

John shook his head. "I want some private time to talk," he admitted. Kelly moved over to her cot and sat down. John moved over to his own and sat down facing her.

"All right, what do you want to talk about." Kelly was surprisingly relaxed, leaning back on one arm on the cot.

John took a moment to figure out how to explain what was bothering him. "The other soldiers sometimes refer to us as robots or inhuman." Kelly nodded, indicating she was aware of such talk. "It never annoyed me in the past but some comments made by some soldiers annoyed me today. I don't understand why."

"Well why don't you tell me what they said. It would be easier to figure out what annoyed you if I knew what the possibilities are."

"There weren't any unusual insults," John explained. "They said we were robots, hypothesized that we are AI in robot bodies, that we don't have hearts, and that we are just metal and wires under the armor." John stopped when Kelly raised her hand.

"Do you realize how emotionally expressive your face is? Well to me at least." Kelly leaned forward a bit. "Why are you so upset they think we don't have hearts?"

John didn't know what she was talking about. He'd never been told that he was very expressive and he didn't know how he felt about how easily she could tell the things even he didn't understand. A part of him loved how she could read him and help him but another part was annoyed that he couldn't understand himself. "I don't know. I know we have hearts. They pump the blood through our veins and we bleed just like normal soldiers. I can feel my pulse, know I have a beating heart. There is no reason it would upset me to be accused of not having one."

Kelly frowned examining him. "No, it's not just that." She frowned, frustrated that she couldn't decipher his thoughts. John felt slight annoyance over it as well. He'd been relying on Kelly's knowledge if him to figure out what was wrong but even she didn't know.

"There is no part of it that should have me feeling anything. We aren't machines, it's just the talk of people who don't know better." John wished that they'd gone somewhere more private. He wanted to just take his mind off of all of it and Kelly had the unique ability to consume his attention.

"Well of course they have no idea. To them we're human tanks that come charging in in high tech armor and kill everything. We can do in minutes what they can't manage even given an entire day. Of course they don't think we're human. They don't see us like this." Kelly's hand moved out to rest on his knee. "They don't see that under the armor we're human. We fight for the same reasons as them. Survival, to save people, and for the people we care about." Kelly moved over to sit on the cot beside him. "It's not like you to let something as ridiculous as this bother you."

John didn't really know how to explain it. He only knew that it annoyed him. " Spartans are just soldiers. We fight like any soldier, to protect humanity."

"You say that like humans and soldiers are different. soldiers are human, and just like soldiers we are human, not machines. were just people, humans." Kelly moved a bit closer to him her hand slipping up his shirt and running over his abs. "Hard and firm muscles. Not metal hard but soft and flexible as a human should be, warm inviting skin," Kelly leaned over and put her head against his chest. "And a strong, steady heartbeat. Yep, you are human."

John looked down at the hand still under his shirt. "If you'd like to continue molesting me we should find somewhere private." Kelly frowned at him. "What did I say this time?"

"Molesting is not the right term. It sounds wrong and bad. Try feeling up. That's a much more appealing phrase." Kelly leaned toward him. "Give it a try."

"Would you like to go somewhere and feel me up?" John asked.

Kelly grinned at him. "I thought you'd never ask." She closed the space between them for just a second, kissing him quickly. The urge rose up and before John was able to halt it he closed the space and kissed her more deeply. When they broke apart Kelly pushed him back a bit. "Cargo bay."

Before John could say anything she'd stood up and moved out of the room. John watched her go smiling as she disappeared through the door. He made a mental note of her preferred terms for future use. He lay on the cot considering what she'd said. When he was out in the field he would have said that humans and soldiers were separate, different. Something is different though, when she smiled at him, touched his skin, or simply having her around. In those times he felt that he was human, that a soldier and a human were the same. He frowned, not sure where the difference was. Maybe it had to do with combat, or with location. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the two. He frowned trying to think of a time when he'd felt the two were the same that didn't involve Kelly. He considered the possibility that she was the constant but she'd always been with him during a fight. He considered the problem for a few more seconds. Perhaps it was Kelly and the relaxed attitude, the chatting and affection. He would have to test this theory in the future. Consider his views right after a mission and then again after talking to Kelly.

John stood from his cot and moved out of the barracks, knowing her kept Kelly waiting long enough. He made a mental note to evaluate if views after they finished in the cargo bay.


	177. Making a Deal

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Making a Deal**

John stood on one side of the Admiral's desk while the Officer stood on the other side, staring out the window. They had been standing for a couple minutes, the Admiral watching something outside. "So then, Master Chief, what is your decision?"

"That depends, sir, on what I have to do to get what I want." John stood tall, knowing that he would have to be steady and strong to get what he wanted.

"And exactly what is it that you want, Master Chief?" The Admiral turned to face him and folded his hands behind his back.

"I want what you took from me. I want my son back." John looked the Admiral straight in the eyes and tried to convey how serious and determined he was. "Whatever it is that I have to do to get him back I'll do it."

The admiral studied him carefully before he spoke. "You do realize that what you're asking for can't be done. To start there are too many questions as to the mental health of the Spartans. How would someone that's been trained to be a soldier from the age of six know how to raise a child?"

"There is nothing wrong with me or Kelly. We aren't just soldiers. You assume that we aren't capable but you never even gave us a chance. Kelly is more than capable of being a good mother but you took that from her." John had heard all the things said about Spartans from Kelly and it annoyed him that after all of this they were questioning the Spartan's at all.

The Admiral moved to his chair, sitting down and relaxing. "Mental issues aside you do realize what you're asking me to do? You're asking for me to tear a child away from his family. He's almost four now. He has a family."

"You were the ones that tore him from his family. What I'm asking for is that you put right what you did. You tore my son from his mother and now you need to give him back. We've seen friends die, planets glassed, and people slaughtered, but nothing has hurt Kelly and I more than you taking away our son." John took a step toward the desk, not trying to be threatening but he could see the Admiral tense a bit. He thought of using that fear to force them to give his son back but decided that was the wrong thing to do. He didn't want to get his son back through intimidation. What kind of an example would he be setting? "What do I have to do to get him back?"

The Admiral relaxed as he realized John wasn't threatening him. "You have to come up with a damn good reason for me to tear a child away from a high profile couple."

John considered the challenge and came up with a couple options. "All right, this can go one of two ways. The first option is that into to the press. That choice can go either way. I can either tell them that the current officers stole my son from the loving arms of his mother and gave him away to a big profile family for personal favors. The other way is that I paint it as the former leadership did a shady deal and stole away our son and you're setting it right. I don't care how you paint his foster parents, innocent victims who had been lied to about where the child came from or people who specifically wanted the son of two Spartans because they wanted a unique child. I don't care as long as we get out son back. The second choice is you launch an investigation, show that Kelly was never given a chance to prove she was a good mother, that she fought to even have him born. Show that she put great care into making sure he was healthy through the entire pregnancy. The second option or blaming the previous leadership would make the UNSC look better, like it's trying to fix the terrible things it's done."

The Admiral considered the options. "What if you fail to be parents? It won't look good for the UNSC to be stealing a child from a family to give him to unworthy parents."

"If that is the case then he can return to his foster family. You'll still look good for trying to do the right thing," John argued.

"What if he isn't happy with you, wants to go back?" The Admiral asked.

"Then we'll give him back to them, whatever makes him happy." John knew that Kelly would agree with him. She wanted their son to be happy but they both wanted a chance for them to all be together, happy.

"You know we can't support this if you're active duty. We can't support soldiers that would be leaving all the time taking a child from a civilian couple." The Admiral leaned forward. "Though you know we are in need of some skilled soldiers here on base. The other Spartans have done so well with their groups, the requirements for them and training. I am looking to expand that to all Spartan IVs. Perhaps we could find a position for you overseeing the training of the soldiers."

John stood tall. "It would be my honor to assist in the training of future soldiers, and be home to take care of my son."

"If you want this to be over sooner rather than later I would suggest going to the media. Tell them that previous powers are at fault and that the UNSC is looking into filing suit for custody of the child. The media will decide how it wants to see people and once they have they'll stick to that view. They'll likely take your side as you are basically the reason we're all still alive. This won't be over fast and it won't be easy."

"Few things worth fighting for are easy, sir." John hesitated before he asked his second question. "Is it possible for Kelly and I to be married? She'd be an active soldier and I'd be more administrative. If you need public reasoning for the marriage I can." The Admiral motioned for him to continue. "A portion of the blowback from the Spartan program is this belief that Spartans have been made inhuman by our training but what is more human than the love of two people?"

The Admiral tapped his finger on the desk. "It must have been amazing to watch you come up with battle strategies." He nodded his head. "I'll prepare everything. Have our lawyers prepare to sue for custody, set up an interview with a major network, and get you the necessary marriage license."

"Thank you, sir. This means a lot to the both of us." John felt a sense of joy at the prospect of getting their son back.

"Well I owe you Spartans. My wife was saved on one planet by you holding back the enemies and my son is training to be a Spartan IV and I've been told that he's being looked at to be a part of one of the sub-groups, thought I don't know which and I'd never tell him. My boy has always gotten things in life without my help, and I'm damn proud of him. I can't imagine being in your situation but as one father to another, I'll do whatever I can. You're dismissed, Master Chief."

John saluted, more out if respect for the man than out of regulation. John left the office and found Kelly data don't outside with Lasky. They both looked to him as he walked over.

Lasky gave Kelly a pat on the shoulder and moved off, leaving her and John alone. "Lasky is a very nice man. He thought I looked nervous and decided I shouldn't wait alone for you. It was nice to have someone to talk to," Kelly explained. "So...do we get him back?"

John took her hands gently in his. "We'll need to choose a last name. I could just call you Mrs. 117 but once the courts award us custody of Sam he's going to need a last name." John smiled as he saw Kelly's eyes light up with joy. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "It might not be for a while, though. We have to file suit against the foster par tents contesting the adoption, go to the media and make the case public including interviews stating our side. I'm sure they'll want to do a genetic match, but we'll fight to get our son back."

Kelly hugged him tight. "If they want to fight us for him they'll find out how good of a fight a Spartan can put up when it comes to their family. You are most certainly the greatest man in the galaxy." Before he could argue her lips collided with his in a passionate kiss. When they broke apart she grinned at him. "So are you retiring? If I recall that was the actual reason for this meeting, to decide if you'd retire."

"They're going to find a position on base for me. Now come on, we need to decide where Sam's room will be and if we want to try to get things painted for him or toys we should buy him." Kelly released his neck but slid and arm around her waist. John mirrored the action and they walked down the hallway, heading back to the barracks.


	178. Reunited

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Reunited**

John watched Kelly fidget nervously. He was nervous as well but his concern for Kelly had him focused on her rather than his own nervousness. The last five months had not been easy on her. It hadn't been easy on anyone. The Admiral had been right and the media had taken the side of Kelly and him but the courts had the final say. The family that had Sam had more money than they knew what to do with and more lawyers than seemed logical. A lot had been dragged to light and the family had tried slandering him and Kelly for things that were purely not true. There had been claims about their mental stability, about them having killed people in outburst of rage, and even a accusation of them having killed children in the war.

What was more troubling was what had come to light about the family and Sam. The family had been trying to have a child for a while but there was never a direct reason given for why. They'd heard reports that Sam was anti-social, wouldn't talk to anyone. The family claimed to have a DNA test that proved he was their child but the UNSC had demanded that they do an analysis in court which proved that Sam was John and Kelly's child.

It had all been a nightmare and the part that had bugged Kelly the most was that they refused to bring Sam to court, and refused to call him by his actual name but rather the name they had given him. What annoyed John was the other family's attitude. The father was stiff and he seemed to just be annoyed, treating it more like they were trying to take his car from him, not a child. The mother would cry but it was so obviously fake to him. It was over the top, she always had a cloth ready to hide tears that he doubted were actually there, and she only did it at the ideal times in which being emotional might help sway the court. He could tell all the more because a few times John had caught Kelly crying silently at night, but she kept it together in the courtroom. Compaired to Kelly's tears at home it was obvious how fake the mother's actions were.

There had been about a month where she had been gone on a mission and when she came back with a bandage on her arm. The foster family's lawyers tried to use it as proof that Kelly's job was too dangerous which was a mistake. The UNSC's lawyer used it against them, point out that they were obviously ungrateful people and questioned what they were teaching Sam. It was a bit fascinating to watch their lawyer spin the comment against Kelly into a beautiful picture of the two of them as knowledgeable, noble people. The fight over if they were capable parents with dangerous jobs only came to an end when it was announced in court about John's decision to move to a training position meaning that he would always be around for Sam.

Still, after months and months of this sort of arguing, extensive press coverage, and court dates, the case had finally been settled. John stood from his seat and moved behind Kelly. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked away from him and he knew she was trying to hide her fear. "Kelly it will be all right," John assured her. "Sam's coming home." He frowned, worried about her.

"Are we doing the right thing? Sam had a family," Kelly muttered. "He had all the wealth to give him a good life."

"Money doesn't mean a good life, Kelly. Sam does have a family, one that loves him very much. He has a beautiful mother who right now is waiting for him to come home to her. She's been waiting almost four years and personally I think she's waited too long." His hand squeezed her shoulder to reassure her.

The Spartans both turned as the door to the barracks opened. John watched in stunned silence as a woman led a young boy, almost four, into the room. The moment he saw him John knew it was Sam. He had Kelly's eyes and he looked so much like John did in all the photos from his training days when he was a kid. The boy looked surprised. The woman knelt down and urged him forward. He heard the woman say something it his mind was so focused on the boy, trying to remember this moment, the moment he first met his son.

Sam took a couple steps forward and John saw Kelly move forward. She crouched down so that she could be closer to Sam's height. "Hello, Sam. Do you know who I am?" Kelly asked.

"You're dream Mommy. My nanny says you're my real Mommy." Sam smiled, apparently hopeful at the prospect. "You were the Mommy in my dreams, and then you started showing up in the news vids. You're prettier in person." His smile fell a bit. "Why are you crying, Mommy. You should be happy."

"I am happy, Sam. I'm so happy it's making me cry in joy. I've wanted so long for you to come home." John took a few steps forward and could see now that tears were running down her face but she was smiling widely.

"You wanted me to come home?" Sam seemed ecstatic. He suddenly threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around her torso. "I'm home now, Mommy. You don't have to wait any more." Kelly hugged him gently, being careful not to use too much force. She let her knees rest on the ground to make it easier to hug her returned child. "I like the name Sam. Can that be my name now? I didn't like what my other parents called me."

"Your name has always been Sam, and always will. You're named after a very, very dear friend of your Daddy and me," Kelly explained. "I gave you that name before you were even born."

"That's a much better name than Toby. Toby is a dog's name, Sam is a human name." Their son grinned and laughed.

John carefully walked over to them, feeling his own nervous rising up again. He knelt down beside Kelly and Sam Kelly let Sam go enough that he could look at John. "Sam, this is your father," Kelly introduced.

John suddenly didn't know what to do. He raised his hand in a greeting and Sam stared at his hand. He gently put the palm of his hand against John's and stretched his fingers. "Wow, your hands are big. You're a lot bigger than my other Daddy. You look a lot stronger than him too." Sam grinned. "I bet you could beat him up."

"Only if he was hurting an innocent person." John was going to be sure to set a good example and teach his son properly. Though at the moment all he could think of was the face that was smiling at him. "Well?" Sam looked at him confused. "Your mom gets a hug but I don't?"

"Of course you do." Sam wrapped his arms as best he could around John's neck. John hugged his son and he felt a warmth run through him in his joy. Here in his arms was his son, a bit of him and a bit of Kelly that had made a human being. After such a long fight, the war, and the law suit, he had his son and his wife. He had a family, and he couldn't have felt happier in the moment.

John loosened his grip on his son so Sam could move a bit away though he still hung on John's neck but was mainly held up by one of John's arms. "You're a good hugger, Daddy."

Kelly moved over to John's side. "Come on, Sam, it's time to go home."

"I get to go home with you, don't I?" Sam asked.

"Yes, Sam, you're finally coming home, where you belong," John assured him, letting his son down.

"And we won't let anyone take you from us ever again." Kelly placed a kiss on her son's head before she stood up. John reached down and offered his hand to Sam. His son took it and Kelly put her arm around John's waist, standing on his other side. John put his arm around Kelly's waist and they set off for the small building on base that had been repurposed to be a home for the family.


	179. Choice

**Pairing: Tom/Lucy**

**Title: Choice **

Tom scrubbed at the pot, trying to get the last if the cheese out of it so it didn't came on. When he was satisfied he set the pot in the sink and started to wash his hands. "Holly, remember you have to wash up before lunch," he reminded his daughter.

Holly groaned from where she was sitting at the kitchen table. "Yes, Daddy." She left the drawing she was if is hung on the table and moved over to the sink. The little girl had to stand on a stool but she washed her hands in the sink alongside her father.

Tom dried his hands off and passed a towel to Holly as we. "Now we can take lunch up to your mother." He moved over to the counter and the tray that was sitting there.

"Wait!" Holly ran over to the table and grabbed the picture she was working on. She folded it in half and then ran back over to Tom. "Here, this is for Mommy." Tom placed the drawing and put it on the tray with the food. He grabbed the tray and started to make his way through the house. Holly ran ahead toward the master bedroom.

When he reached the room Holly was already sitting on the bed with her mother. Lucy had been bedridden for the last few days and Tom had gotten used to catering to his wife. Lucy hated it, wanting to take care if herself but Tom refused. She needed to recover and he was more than willing to make her meals until she was better.

Tom moved over to the bed and flipped out the legs of the tray, placing so it was over Lucy's legs. "All right, today we have a fine selection of macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and a piece of chocolate for desert."

"But you only get the chocolate if you finish all your broccoli," Holly added. Lucy pouted as though pleading with her daughter to let her have the chocolate sooner. "No, mommy, you have to finish your vegetables." Lucy sighed and nodded causing Holly to smile. "Good, and if you're really good and eat all your food Daddy might give you something special." Lucy smiled and took her fork, starting to eat.

Holly fidgeted on the other side of the bed. Being a child she wasn't very good at sitting still. "Holly, why don't you go finish your homework," Tom suggested. Holly groaned but Tom gave her a look that said she didn't be to complain. She had, after all, chosen to push it back until the next day when she'd been watching vids the night before. Holly sighed and moved from the bed, heading out of the room.

Tom made himself more comfortable on the bed, draping an arm over Lucy's shoulders. He enjoyed the silence, just the two of them sitting in bed together. His relaxation turned to worry when he realized that Lucy had stopped eating. "Is there something wrong with the food?" Lucy shook her head. "Then what's wrong? Is it more cramps? The doctor said those should have stopped." Tom felt fear rise up. He reached for the communication terminal on the bedside table but Lucy stopped him. She shook her head again and Tom moved back to his position beside her. Lucy took a deep breath and retrieved a paper from the other bedside table. She handed it to him and Tom took it carefully. "What is this?"

Lucy didn't make any sign of answer, just motioned to the paper. Tom opened it and read the first line putting it down right away. "Lucy, you don't need to apologize for anything. I can't believe you wrote an apology letter." Tom shook Jai's head and looked to his feet. "Lucy you didn't do anything wrong." Lucy again motioned to the letter and Tom sighed, deciding that he might as well read it so he could properly explain how she wasn't at fault for anything.

_Dear my beloved Tom,_

_I'm so sorry that I was not able to give you what you wanted. I know that you were excited about a son and you even were planning out clothing and a name. I'm sorry that I lost our son. I'm sorry that because of me you'll never get to hold Kurt in your arms, play catch with him, or teach him how to be a good man like you_.

Tom put the letter down again. "Lucy, do I have to read this?" Tom took deep breaths, trying to keep himself calm. Lucy motioned to the letter again. "Please, Lucy, can't you just sign it to me?" Lucy shook her head and motioned to the letter again. She moved to lay against his side, curled up against him. Tom's arms moved around her frail form. He reluctantly started to read the letter again.

_I am sorry that I made you worry, again. I know that I worried you and I'm sorry that you were scared. I know that I worried Holly as well and I'm sorry that you had to take care of her, calm her, all on your own. I'm sorry that I can't help you explain to her what happened, or that her brother was gone before she got to meet him. I know how hard things like this are on you and don't want to put you through it again. I have decided that to prevent this happening again. I will voluntarily be sterilized. If we decide to have a son then we can adopt one but it has become apparent that natural birth is too much of a strain on my systems and I don't think you or I can take another heartbreak or scare like this. I love you, Tom, but I have made my choice._

_You're loving wife_

Tom just stared at the letter and sighed. "I would argue against your choice but it is your choice. You know I would prefer natural but it has become obvious that…that it's just too dangerous. I love you, Lucy, and I'll respect your choice." Tom wrapped his other arm around her and held her close. "It doesn't really matter how any child of ours comes into the family, Lucy, we'll love them just the same." Lucy relaxed against his arms and Tom slowly ran a hand over her back. "You know you should finish your food." Lucy just snuggled a bit closer to him. "Fine, then you don't get your chocolate." Lucy moved a bit away from him and pouted. "It's not that bad to eat broccoli. If you eat all your food I'll give you something special."

Lucy sat up and frowned down at him. She reached over for a tablet to type something to him. Tom pulled her hand back and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. "I always know what you mean. I know that you're worried you aren't healed enough to partake in adult activities." Lucy nodded, indicating that he was correct. "Well, that wasn't what I was offering. I was offering to spoon you in that way that you really like." Lucy smiled and nodded. She sat up and returned to eating her food. Tom just lay on the bed and watched her eat her food. She made sure to show him her clean plate and the chocolate as she ate it to be sure he knew she had eaten all of it. Once she had finished it Tom got up enough to grab the tray and moved it over to their dresser where it could sit for a while. He moved back over the bed, slipping under the covers, and taking his place beside Lucy. She turned away from him and he wrapped his arms around her, intertwining their legs and sliding one of his hands up her shirt to rest on her base skin. Tom placed a kiss on her neck and settled in to get a bit of sleep with his wife.


	180. Jitters

**Pairing: Commander Sarah Palmer/Captain Tomas Lasky**

**Title: Jitters**

Lasky stood in his personal quarters, feeling a bit uneasy. This would be his first mission commanding _Infinity_ and he was nervous. He stood before his bedside table, holding a picture frame and trying to decide if it was all right to put the picture up. It felt odd to be decorating the Captain quarters with his own things. It felt odd to even be called a Captain. All of it had happened so fast it felt like a dream.

The door to his room opened and he started to wonder if this really was a dream. Standing in his doorway was Commander Palmer, though she was out of her armor. Rather than the familiar white armor she had on a white tank top and a pair of baggy fatigue pants. Palmer shut the door behind her.

"Hey, Tom. How are you doing?" Palmer asked. "Crews prepping the ship, the AI has been installed, and the Spartans are arriving. Anything I can do for you?"

Lasky tried to think of anything that she could do to help prepare the ship. "I think everything is set," he finally decided. "How's the AI."

"It's all right. Seems like it's eager but will be happy and functioning." Palmer moved into the room and Lasky watched her sit down on his bed. "You seem a bit nervous, Tom. Maybe I could help you ease your nerves." She smirked at him and her tone was suggestive.

Lasky looked down at her as he realized what she was offering. "I was wondering why you were out of your armor." He sat down on the bed beside her and let out a sigh. "I am nervous. I mean this is _Infinity_. This is the biggest ship in the fleet and our flagship. It's a big responsibility."

"Yeah it is, and you can handle it," Palmer assured him. "You're a fine Captain and you have the trust of the crew after Requiem. Oh, and did I mention how sexy it is that you're a Captain?"

Lasky raised an eyebrow at her. "You find power attractive? As a woman in power I would think that wouldn't matter to you." Lasky reached over and put his hand on her thigh. He had learned when he'd first started his relationship with Palmer that her physical contact had to be limited. Lasky usually had to be the one that did all of the work but it was more for safety reasons. Palmer was unnaturally strong and Lasky had ended up bruised by her on accident when they'd been intimate.

"I find it attractive on you," Palmer clarified. "You're a man with power that earned it, and every time I think about how you gained command of the ship I feel proud and it makes me want to do very dirty things to you." Palmer grinned and leaned toward him. "You shouldn't be nervous at all. You're a great leader, Tom, and you'll do great. Besides, it's not like this mission is harder than your first one as Captain."

"This is my first mission," Lasky corrected.

"Not really. Your first mission was backing up the Master Chief. You did a great job there and it's how you got the trust of the crew. I don't know why you seem to doubt yourself. I know that when things become tough you can be strong but you shouldn't have and doubt in you. Get out of your head and just trust yourself."

Lasky sighed and shook his head. "A lot is on the shoulders of a leader. Sometime I wish I could lead like you. You're confident, strong, though sometimes a bit cold."

"That's the way I have to lead, it doesn't work for a ship. Spartan training, augmentations, and missions are difficult, but it's normal. One team cleaning up the mess if another team would get praise as it saves my ass from having to deal with it being a problem but I have to deal with so many things and it's all reporting to leaders or making notes of what is happening here or there, all paper work. It leaves me in a surly mood and I feel no need to praise soldiers for doing the job I told them to do, that's what I expect. I mean when was the last time I actually got on the ground for a real combat fight?"

Lasky considered the question. "On Requiem when we found the Master Chief," he finally answered. "Though really you didn't do much direct fighting. He took care if most of it."

"Exactly, I feel like I'm not doing my part. You direct the ships, that's what you've always done and it's your skill. Ground fighting is my skill but how much of this fight ahead will keep me on this ship? I have to coordinate all of the Spartans so I can't fight on the ground but I miss it. I miss the feel of a grunt's head being crushed in my hand or the cry of an elite dying." Palmer sighed and flopped back on the bed.

"I suppose then I shouldn't tell you I'm happy with you safe on the ship where for once I'm able to protect you by commanding properly." Lasky lay down as well beside her. "You know if something goes wrong you'll still have me you can protect with violence against others."

Palmer smiled at him. "Smart man to keep your mouth shut, though you're wrong about the other part. I won't need to protect you because you'll command the ship perfectly and an enemy won't be able to get anywhere near you."

Lasky sat up and smiled down at her. "Why can't you be supportive like that to your Spartans?" He held up his hand to keep her from actually answering. "Rhetorical question. I know that's just not who you are. You expect the best from people, that the Spartans do their job, and that things get done in a timely manner." He grabbed the picture frame from where he'd dropped it on the bed and put it in the bedside table.

Palmer sat up and stared at the picture in the frame. "Is that from that festival? That was the worse one of the set."

Lasky smiled at her. "I think it was the best. Your smile is so beautiful in it." Lasky stared at the picture. They'd used a photo booth at a festival about a year ago and Lasky had chosen the picture because it was the two of them smiling at each other. "Though it's not the only photo I have on this frame." He hit a button and the picture started to periodically change. There was a picture of them together in a park, Palmer in her uniform, her in her armor, a picture of Palmer shouting and trying to cover herself up with a towel, and a picture of the two of them kissing.

Palmer leaned toward him and carefully draped her arms over his shoulders. "Nice selection but it's a little woman heavy. I'd rather see more of that man."

Lasky smiled and turned toward her. "I would but she just isn't willing to pose with him." He felt a moment of panic as she pushed him down onto the bed. It wasn't super forceful by her standards but it was still forceful enough that Lasky was sure if they'd been on a harder surface he'd have a head ache.

"She still isn't happy about you sneaking in on her when she's showering." Palmer lay on him, going a bit limp. "You know I hate when you are afraid of me."

"I know, and it's only momentary then I remember it's you and it goes away. It's just, you have the strength of fifty bears but you're..." His hands moved over her side. "You're so beautiful."

Palmer sat up a bit and smiled down at him. "You seem to have relaxed. Seems I was able to relive that tension, though not how I intended."

Lasky sat up and Palmer let him guide her so their positions were switched. "I think I still have a bit of tension." His hand moved to her neck and pulled her to him for a gentle kiss. He pulled away and sat up. Palmer sat up as well and set her hands behind her to hold herself up. Lasky reached up, removing her hair tie and letting her hair fall loose. "Always preferred you with your hair down," Lasky remarked.

"I'd leave it that way all the time but it gets too messy in the helmet." Palmer ran her hand over his neck though the most she could do was simply place her hand on his skin, any more force could hurt him. "So you doing to just talk all day or you going to screw me?"

"Don't be so quick, Sarah. This is our first time in the Captain's quarters of the UNSC's largetst ship. Saver the occasion," Lasky smiled at her before slipping his fingers into her hair. "I love you, Sarah."

"Yeah, yeah, you love me and I love you. Don't we say it enough we can just assume?" Palmer pulled him down toward her and brought their lips together. She released him when he tried to pull away. "Too rough?"

Lasky rubbed a hand over his neck where she'd grabbed him. "A bit," he admitted. "We can't leave marks where people will see. More people will be looking at me now." Lasky slid his other hand into her hair to join the first and closing the gap between them again, kissing her more deeply than before as he pushed her back onto the bed.


	181. Broken Soul

**Pairing: Jorge/Emile**

**Title: Broken soul**

Emile sat on the rooftop, staring out at the snow covered base. He didn't mind the snow or the temperature of this planet. Inside his armor he was always a comfortable warm temperature. He didn't see why any of the other members of Nobel got out of their armor in a place like this.

"Why are you sitting up on a roof?" Emile turned around to find Jorge standing behind him. The Spartan II was bundled up in a winter snow suit, a wool cap, and a scarf that hung loosely around his neck. "A roof is just an odd place."

"Hey, I'm fine outside. I'm in my armor so I'm warm and comfortable. You're the one that has to wear three layers of clothing to stay warm," Emile countered. "The better question is why you are up here."

"I came here looking for you." Jorge moved to sit on the roof beside his partner. "I was bored and wanted to spend time with you. Had a nice chat with some marines and Thom then they had to leave so I went looking for you."

Emile though of making a comment about him being desperate if he wanted his company but restrained himself. If Emile had been bored enough he would have gone looking for Jorge as well, not that he'd ever admit it. "Well I'm not doing anything interesting, just sitting here and watching the snow fall." Emile looked up toward the clouds above. They'd been here a little while and he couldn't remember seeing the sun since they had arrived.

"Well better to sit with a loved one than no one at all," Jorge reasoned. "Even if you think being alone is better than having someone around." The large Spartan settled into place and made himself comfortable.

The two Spartans sat in silence for a long time, just watching the snow fall. Emile looked to his partner beside him, his gaze hidden behind his visor. The larger man had on a cheerful smile and he was reaching out and letting the snowflakes land on his gloves, watching them accumulate. To Emile Jorge was the most fascinating and frustrating man he'd ever met. Jorge was just like him but at the same time he was the exact opposite.

Jorge was a broken soul like Emile. Sure they had come to be broken in different ways but in the heart of it they were the same. And just like all broken things some pieces had been lost, leaving holes that no longer had bits to put in them. Luckily their broken parts fit together perfectly, allowing them to feel whole again, even as they tried to keep all the other parts together so they could heal. Even if they did heal they'd never be the same as before they were broken.

Emile was painfully aware of how broken he was. He'd lost too much: home, family, and partner. It had been to a point where the Covenant taking his family from him had cracked him and his partnership with Karrie was the only thing holding him together. When she'd died he'd known he'd broken. He'd lost all his focus and drive, lost his humanity. The thing was Jorge was the one person who could see that human in him, and he was trying to bring it out. Most people would just see his violent nature and think it was natural but Jorge saw that his violence was the shell he put around his emotions, the way that he guarded himself from attachments and pain. It figured that a nice guy like Jorge would be the one person that would get under that shield, finding that human inside and offering it all the love and affection he could ever desire.

Jorge on the other hand was the exact opposite, at least as far as Emile could tell. He seemed completely oblivious to how broken he was. Emile was sure it was the events of this war, watching his team and civilians die. Deep down Jorge was the warm teddy bear that he was on the outside, sort of. The man on the outside was much more outgoing to hide what he really was. Jorge would seek out people, usually other soldiers though he preferred civilians, and would try to make friends with them. It seemed like a normal gesture, just being friendly but none of them saw what Emile saw. Through their talking Emile had found how hard Jorge fought the idea that Spartans were killing machines. Every time Emile would see Jorge trying to be extra nice he would only see the same thing he was, a man trying to hide what he really was. While Emile tried to hide the human in him Jorge was trying to hide the monster in him, in all Spartans. Spartans killed all kinds of enemies, Covenant and human. Emile was fairly sure that Jorge felt guilt over all the killing and he was afraid of how powerful the killing side of him was. In an effort to balance himself the big man had taken to trying to be kind to anyone and everyone he met. The thing was Emile was the one person who loved the violet and human part of him. He accepted both halves and didn't see the ruthless killer as a bad thing.

"It's my birthday," Jorge said. Emile tilted his head to the side and the larger man looked to him. "What would you say if I asked you for a birthday kiss?"

Emile snorted. "I'd say I wished you'd asked that sort of question inside. It's cold out here and taking my helmet off would make me cold." Jorge let out a quiet 'oh' and slouched a bit. "I just have preferred if you'd asked inside." Emile reached up and removed his helmet, cursing silently as the cold air hit his face. Jorge didn't hesitating, knowing that Emile wouldn't want to wast time. He closed the gap between him and the Spartan III, kissing him deeply.

They broke apart after several seconds later and Emile quickly slipped his helmet back on. "Damn it is freezing out here," the violent Spartan cursed.

Jorge laughed and hugged the man to his side. "What if I asked you to go inside for a bit more than kissing?" It was a new proposition from the larger man. He'd never before suggested them getting more physical.

Emile considered the proposition and shook his head. "I'd say yes to going inside but...I'm just not interested in anything other than kissing. It's not you; I just don't really find anything more appealing."

Jorge shrugged, still calm and relaxed. "If you don't want to I'm fine with it. His about instead we go inside and drink some coffee?"

Emile paused for a second and nodded. "Fine, I can get behind that." He stood from his spot and started toward the ladder down. At least if they went inside and drank something warm Jorge's lips would warm up. There was nothing sexy about kissing cold lips.


	182. Beautiful

**Pairing: Kelly/John  
**

**Title: Beautiful**

Kelly frowned at the male trainees as they watched Linda walk along the side of the pool. She didn't know why she was so mad at the moment. Linda was her friend and hasn't really done anything wrong and the guys were just watching her. Kelly didn't know why it bothered her so much.

Linda stopped to talk to Kathleen who was heading toward the lockers. Kelly was just watching them when she suddenly realized there was something very different about the two of them. Their bodies were different. Kathleen would have easily been able to pass off as one of the guys in normal clothing and in her swimsuit it was only evident that she was female because of the slight development of her chest. Linda was a completely different story. She looked like a full developed woman, curves and all. Was that what had all the guy's attention?

Kelly looked toward the male trainees and noticed that when Kathleen left they still kept their attention on Linda. Kelly really only cared that one of the men was watching Linda but a part if her was annoyed that Linda had all of their attentions. She suddenly became aware of her on physical appearance sitting on the bench in just her swimsuit. She looked more like Kathleen than Linda, just a bit more developed than the Red Team member but nowhere near how Linda was. Kelly suddenly felt awkward, vulnerable, and it scared her. She wasn't used to self-doubt and she wasn't sure how to handle it.

Kelly did the only thing that seemed logical, she left. What wasn't logical was wrapping her towel around her body to try to hide herself from any glances that might wander her way for a second when she passed Linda.

The walk to the lockers was uncomfortable and as terrifying to her as running toward a tank with no armor or weapon. She managed to make it to the lockers but even there she felt uncomfortable. She sat in front of her locker, not willing to remove the towel. Maybe she should have waited for everyone else to finish so she'd have some privacy.

"You all right?" Kelly looked up to Kathleen who was opening her own locker.

Kelly wasn't sure what to say. Kathleen was the one person she thought would understand her feelings the most. "I just...I wish they wouldn't stare at Linda like that. It makes me..."

"Angry, feel inferior, sad," Kathleen offered. "Yeah, I know what you mean." There was an edge of annoyance to her voice. "It's hard to express but when they look at her and ignore me it hurts."

"They only look at her because of her body." The words came out more agitated than Kelly wanted but she couldn't help it. "No offense but neither of us will ever get looks like that from the guys." They were only twelve but most people thought they were in their twenties. Kelly was fairly sure that most of them had developed as much as they would, particularly if Linda was any indication.

"No offense taken. I've accepted the way I am. I've accepted that I'll never even develops as much as you." Kathleen shrugged, apparently brushing it all off.

"How do you do that? How do you get over how it makes you feel?" Kelly sort of admired it. Kathleen was just letting it all roll off her back. Kelly wondered how long she'd been dealing with these emotions that she was able to just push past them like that.

"It's really simple. Every time I feel jealous of the looks Linda gets and feel bad about my own body I just think: if having looks like that means I have to be as cold and boring as Linda then I'm fine with how I look."

Kelly felt that was a bit mean but she did admit that it was a bit logical. Linda may have the guys watching her but she knew that they didn't seek her out for conversation. Yeah, if you were close enough to Linda she could have a full conversation with you but even then it felt like talking to someone who was a bit of a stranger. There was a lot that Kelly didn't know about Linda even after six years of friendship.

Kathleen removed her swim suit and tossed it into her locker. "I heard this female soldier talking, had a big scar on her neck and cheek from a burn. Her friend was consoling her about her appearance and said something I think will help you. They may like her for her looks but they won't stick around once she's opened her mouth. They'll come to you for who you are and see the beauty inside over time."

Kelly just stared at Kathleen for a couple seconds. "I think that's the most girly thing I've ever heard you say."

"Hey, I was just repeating what another woman said. Just thought it would help you," Kathleen pointed out.

"It does, it really does. Thanks, Kathleen ." Kelly smiled at the other woman. Kathleen didn't seem comfortable with the praise and turned, heading toward the showers.

Kelly finally removed the towel, feeling comfortable enough to get undressed. She took a quick shower and moved out to the locker room. Kathleen was getting dressed and on the bench behind her sat Fred, holding his bleeding nose.

"What happened?" Kelly moved over to her locker, glancing over at Kathleen and looking for answers.

"Men are idiots." Kathleen slammed her locker and she noticed that Fred flinched. Kathleen stormed out, still fuming over whatever had happened.

Kelly looked to Fred for answers. John moved over and leaned against the locker beside Kelly's. "Anton dare Fred to say something...mean to Kathleen, sort of insinuate that she's a man, and she punched him for it," John explained.

"Good," Kelly snapped. "If you're going to be a jerk to her you deserve to be hit," Kelly directed the comment at Fred. Maybe that was how Kathleen dealt with things that hurt her emotionally. She hit them, knock them down and at least you cause them pain for the pain they cause you. They did it all the time in training when a teammate was hurt. Maybe Kelly could take that approach, she was sure she could hit anyone before they could even react. She decided that a violent approach just didn't fit her.

"You should get your face cleaned up," John advised. Fred nodded and stood up, moving away. Kelly started to get dressed as John continued to talk. He was explaining the information he'd been given about their training exercise that they'd be doing early tomorrow. Kelly took in the information, glancing toward John every once in a while so he'd know she was listening. She'd finished lacing up her boots and looked up to John. He was explaining what he expected from the exercise but he wasn't looking at her. Linda had come out of the showers and was getting dressed. Apparently that was more interesting to John and his eyes were steadily on the red-haired woman.

Kelly felt the same annoyance and hurt from earlier and decided she didn't need to stick around and basically be ignored. She swung her legs around to the other side of the bench and stood up before moving out of the lockers. Either she moved too fast or he really hadn't been paying attention because it took him a moment to register she was leaving. She heard him call her name once in confusion but she ignored it.

They sat at dinner like always but Kelly remained quiet for most of the meal. She was still trying to deal with the confusing emotions from earlier that he meal was over they went different ways, deciding how to spend their bit of free time. Kelly was heading to the track for a quick run but as soon as there was almost no one around John grabbed her arm and pulled her a different direction. He wasn't forceful, just lead her behind a building.

When they were away from everyone else Kelly pulled her arm out of John's grip. "What?" She demanded.

John didn't waste time and answered her directly. "Why did you run off earlier?"

" I didn't run. If I'd run then you wouldn't have seen me leave." It was a technicality but she didn't yet know how to answer the question.

"Why did you leave at all? I was talking to you and then you just left." John frowned at her and it angered Kelly. He had ignored her and thought that he had a right to be mad at her.

She decided at least this time she'd try it Kathleen's way. She'd let her anger decide her answer. "Funny because as you wouldn't even look at me I figured you weren't talking to me so I left." John was surprised by her aggression and he backed off a bit, not sure how to handle an angry Kelly. She wasn't angry at him often so it was never something he learned to handle. His gaze dropped and she could see he felt bad about it, though she wasn't sure if it was because she was mad or because he'd ignored her. Still she felt a bit bad about being mean. She wouldn't take back what she said but she could be a bit more calm. "It's just, when you're talking me I'd like your attention, even for a second."

Kelly wrapped her arms around herself. The same doubt she'd had earlier that day rose up again and she cursed the way this all made her feel. She was Kelly, blue three and she was confident, not weak like this. John's gaze turned back to her and he seemed upset by her posture. "I'm sorry, Kelly I really am. I promise that whenever I talk to you in the future you'll have my full attention, only you."

Kelly knew it was just another promise he wouldn't keep but she nodded, a part of her hoping this one time, this promise, would be an exception and he'd keep it. "All right."

"Come on, you can be my sparing partner," John offered. Kelly followed him to the gym, forgetting about her run. The sparing turned out to be perfect. Kelly didn't go easy on him and there was something therapeutic about knocking John on his butt. Maybe Kathleen was more right than Kelly had expected. They sat around and chatter for a while after the match while Kelly iced the places where she'd hit him too hard.

They sat beside the sparing mat, Kelly holding a cold compact to John's shoulder. John leaned back against the wall holding his shirt out if the way so that Kelly could hold the compact to his bare skin. They had settled into a comfortable silence, until John broke it. "You hit me a lot harder than for just not paying attention to you," John stared. Kelly kept her mouth shut. "What's really got you upset?"

Kelly didn't know if it was really something that she wanted to talk about with him. He was staring at her and she knew he wasn't going to let it go. "It more of has to do with why you weren't paying attention to me." From the look on his face she guessed he didn't know what she was talking about. "It's not a problem you'd understand. Guys and girls just develop very differently."

"I want to understand. Please, Kelly, explain." John's hand moved up to her hand that held the compact in place. He forced her to move it away and pulled his shirt back up.

Kelly wasn't sure how to even start to talk to a man about a woman issue. "You aren't able to understand, John. The way guys develop they can just train to look how you want. There are parts of a woman that now matter how hard you train you can't improve those parts." John still didn't seem to understand. "Just drop it. It's a girl thing and if you persist then this conversation is going to become very awkward for you."

"No, I said I'd treat you just as fairly as the guys and that means helping you when I can. I'm going to help you," John stated.

Kelly thought of arguing but it was a long and troubling day and she really didn't have the energy for it. She'd have to try to embarrass him into dropping it. "Linda has bigger boobs then me."

John froze at the words and she could see that he was blushing, exactly what Kelly had expected. What Kelly wasn't expecting was for John to speak after that. "So her breast are bigger than yours." Kelly could tell that the word breast had been hard for him to say.

Kelly sighed, knowing that he wouldn't understand. "You don't get it because you don't get compared to the other men. When everyone is watching one woman and it isn't you and you realize that you aren't attractive enough to even get the attention of one guy."

John watched her like she'd make some move that would suddenly cause it all to make sense. He was over thinking it like he always did with matters like this. Maybe he was thinking a bit too hard about the last part of what she'd said. John frowned but was still confused. "Guys get compared to each other all the time. I mean Sam is more muscular than I am but I don't get upset about it."

"It's not the same, John. You can just train more to gain muscle weight. There's no exercise I can do that can increase the size of my breasts." Kelly leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I will admit that is true, though he does gain muscle easier than I do," John pointed out. "I do notice that the girls will watch him more than me."

"That's because you're squad leader and it's intimidating to try to stare at your squad leader," Kelly countered.

"You stare at me," John argued. "You don't seem at all intimidated by me."

"That's because you're my best friend and as I just proved I can kick your butt." Kelly smirked at him, a bit satisfied with herself and feeling more comfortable.

"We are best friends which is why you can trust me when I say," John's hand moved over and forced her to move her arms from her chest. "You are beautiful the way you are." Kelly frowned at him and shot him a unimpressed look. "I mean it. Nine-point-five out of ten times I'd spend the time with you. The point-five of course being me trying to spend time with Linda but leaving part way through to spend time with you."

Kelly smiled at that last bit. A comment like that was rare from John, something sweet and a bit humorous, a hard combination for the squad leader. Kelly let her arms relax and John smiled just a little bit. Kelly moved faster than he could stop and her arms wrapped around his neck and hugging him tight.

John's arms wrapped around her after a moment of hesitation. Kelly relaxed her grip a bit, allowing her head to rest on John's chest. She smiled as she listened to the slightly elevated beat of his heart. "You're a great friend, John."

"The best?" John asked.

Kelly pulled a bit away from him and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "The best a woman could ever hope for." She returned her head to his chest and grinned as she realized his pulse was quicker and he was taking deeper breaths. Kelly laughed and snuggled a bit closer to him. "Am I making you nervous?"

John eased his own grip on her to be more comfortable. "How could I ever be made nervous by a girl as pretty as you?" Kelly was aware that he wasn't being serious. Kelly hugged him a bit tighter and made herself comfortable. John cleared his throat. "Um, we should clean up the gym and head back to the barracks." Kelly ignored him, keeping her grip on him. John sighed and shifted, making himself more comfortable. "All right," he muttered. John let his head rest against hers and they fell into a relaxed silence.


	183. Command

**Pairing: John/Kelly, Fred/Kathleen, Jacob/Fredric**

**Title: Command**

John stood proudly as he watched the Admiral make the announcement, Jacob standing tall beside him. He smiled at the shinning new Captain insignia pinned to his collar. John wished that the Arbiter could have been here to see this day. He had believed in Jacob's ability to command a ship more than any of them, and this would have been a very proud uncle moment.

John looked past them at the image of the battle cruiser that hung in space, waiting for Jacob to take command of it. It was a fine and proper ship, one of the new classes that the UNSC was building. John's gaze turned back to the Admiral as he spoke, only half listening to the speech. It was a lot of fluff and pandering so it wasn't really important.

When it finished Jacob made his way down toward his family. Not only had his family come but so had the rest of the Spartans. John moved forward toward his son and stood tall, saluting. "Captain."

His son returned the salute, though he looked a bit uncomfortable. Why was it that others seemed to feel uncomfortable when he saluted them? "Dad." His hand fell and John let his as well.

John smiled at his son, nodding a bit. "I'm very proud of you, Jacob. You wanted to command a ship, you went after it, and you succeeded." Jacob smiled a bit back at him. John didn't get to say more as Kelly moved forward and hugged her son tightly. John just watched the scene, enjoying the peace.

Kelly moved back to stand by John and one by one the Spartans and their families moved to congratulate him. Catherine asked him more about how many troops it could handle and Avery started to ask a ton of science questions until Rosa pulled him away.

"You two must be really proud. This is quite a big thing for your son." Fred smiled at his friend before looking back to Jacob. "It's a good ship too."

"We are very proud. Jacob has always talking about wanting to command a ship. It's good to know that dreams can be achieved." John looked to Kelly and smiled at her. "He certainly lived up to what we thought he'd do."

John looked back to Fred but the Lieutenant wasn't looking at John anymore. He was staring, confused at Jacob. John turned his gaze to his son and was surprised to see his oldest child kissing Fred's youngest son. It was odd to John because he hadn't even realized that Jacob had been at all close to Frederic.

John's gaze turned to Kathleen as she moved up to the pair. They broke apart and she glared at Jacob. He could see that Frederic was embarrassed and asking his mother to not do whatever she was about to do. "Do you have a full understanding that ground combat is not space combat and the decision in such are better left to the soldiers on the ground? Do you understand that if you hurt my son I will teach you why the elites still call me a demon?"

To Jacob's credit he didn't flinch at all at the forceful questions. "First, ma'am, I understand that I know little of how best to run a ground fight. I shall be trusting my officers on the ground who have experience to be handling that while I take care of the ship. Secondly, your son can take care of himself, ma'am. He can handle me just fine on his own."

Kathleen's attitude suddenly completely changed. She relaxed and crossed her arms. "I really don't want to hear about your bedroom life." Kathleen was pushed a bit to the side as her son tried to make her move away, saying something about how she was embarrassing him.

"Is there something wrong with you kids just telling us when you're dating someone?" Kelly asked. John groaned, knowing he couldn't stop her. "I mean you're the third child to not tell me when you're dating someone."

"Actually mother I just wasn't sure how you would take me dating someone a decade younger than me. That and I thought you'd let it slip to Frederic's mother and she scares me." Jacob glanced toward Kathleen. "I think she would actually stab me to death. That wouldn't be pleasant."

Kelly looked to Kathleen and the marine shrugged. "I'd do anything for my kids. That means stabbing a man to death so be it."

"Seriously mom, can you stop?" Frederic looked like he was miserable.

"Oh calm down, I'm just teasing. I've no problem with him. Both his parents are sensible and he seems to be intelligent enough to fear me killing him so I think he is aware that he is to treat you properly." Kathleen shrugged. "Welcome to the family, Jacob."

John stepped in before Kelly could start asking Jacob and Frederic questions. "Well, before things get worse why don't we head back to the house and have a little celebration?"

"That sounds like a great idea." Jacob put an arm around Fredric's shoulders and led him away. As he passed John he gave his father a slight nod of thanks. John moved over to Kelly and took her hand, walking with her back toward their home.


	184. Subconsious

**Pairing: Fred/Kathleen**

**Title: Subconscious**

**Note: If you haven't read ODSS Chapter 40 you might be a bit confused. **

Fred sat on the grassy shore, staring up at the sky above. The moon was high in the sky, full and bright. His gaze turned to the lake before him and he watched the water, calm and motionless. The water rippled and someone rose up out of the water. At first Fred didn't recognize the person and then it hit him. This was the First Lieutenant that he'd met a few days ago, the one who had insulted him. She ran a hand over her short cut hair and looked to Fred, eyes a bright blue even in the dark. She slowly moved toward him, rising up out of the water. He was surprised to find that she was bare. He just watched her as she moved to the shore, climbing up onto the grass.

Fred watched her, annoyed how he couldn't help but let his eyes roam over her body. He shouldn't be looking at her that way but he couldn't help himself. She stood up and moved toward him. Fred stared up at her as she stood before him though his gaze dropped to her legs. He reached out, his fingers gently touching her skin, enjoying the soft feeling. She sat down beside him and Fred retracted his hand.

"You are such a softy. Why is it that anyone would think you could lead the Spartans?" the woman asked. Her hand moved to his chest and forced him back, to be lying on the ground. "You were always so easy to push around."

"You're so mean," Fred replied.

"Maybe, but you know you love it," she countered. The woman climbed up onto him, straddling him. She rested her hands on his chest and leaned over him. "You like when I'm rough with you."

Fred moved his hands up to her sides, enjoying the feeling of her skin under his hands. "You know I do." He didn't know what he was saying but it felt right. His hands moved up a bit higher as she leaned down, her lips touching his. The feeling was so familiar but he didn't know where he'd felt it before. They kissed for a while, at some point deepening the kiss, exploring each other more. The woman finally sat up and Fred just lay on the ground, enjoying her hands moving over his bare skin. Fred could feel the temperature rising, his body starting to move with hers. They'd just started to get momentum when the words spilled from his lips. "I love you, Kat."

The woman's face suddenly became angry and she stopped. "You know the rules." She pulled back one of her fists and it suddenly came hurling toward his face.

Fred's eyes snapped open and he stared at the ceiling. He was in the Spartan barracks and the lights were out. It had to have all been a dream but he didn't understand it. Why had he had such a dream about the annoying woman? He put a hand over his eyes, trying to force the memory of the dream from his mind. He got out of bed and made his way out of the barracks. He made his way to the bathroom where he stood before a sink staring at the mirror, trying to just clear his mind in the silence and dissipate the lingering arousal from the dream.

"Are you all right, Fred?" He turned to see Kelly walking into the bathroom. "You were moving a lot in your sleep." She moved over to stand at the sink beside him. "What were you dreaming about? It sounded good."

"I'm fine," Fred insisted. "I was just having a dream about that marine, the First Lieutenant. The one that looked like a Spartan." Fred stared at his reflection, staring into his own eyes. "So blue," he muttered, remembering the way her eyes had still been so vivid in the dark. Like her kiss they seemed so familiar but he couldn't quite figure out where he'd seen them.

"So you had a dream about a woman being mean to you?" Kelly smiled a bit at him. "Though from the noises you were making you seemed to be enjoying the dream. Were you telling her off for the things she said?"

"It wasn't exactly bad." Fred wouldn't have called it a bad dream, just a confusing one. "I wasn't being mean to her either. We were…It was a..." Fred frowned, not sure if he felt comfortable admitting it. Kelly stared at him and he could see her watching him in the mirror. "It was more of a…sex dream about her."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "So you meet a woman, she's mean to you, and you have a dream about having sex with her?" Fred rolled his eyes, though deep down he knew she had a point. "You are a glutton for punishment. You used to have that thing for Kathleen when you were in training and she was always mean to you. Do you have some sort of thing for mean women?"

"Maybe," Fred admitted. He apparently did get attached or have some sort of an attraction toward violent women. He frowned as he remembered something from the dream. "The odd thing is that at the end of the dream I called her Kat and she punched me."

"What are you suggesting?" Kelly asked.

"I'm not exactly suggesting anything," Fred countered. "I'm just saying that she had blond hair, blue eyes, and was aggressive. She was a lot like Kathleen. Maybe instead that's what I was attracted to. Maybe she just reminded me of Kathleen." Kelly opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. "What?"

"It's nothing," Kelly tried to convince him. Fred frowned at her and she let out a frustrated groan. "I don't want to get your hopes up if my idea is wrong."

"Come on, Kelly. What harm could a theory really do? Just tell me," Fred urged.

"It could do a lot of harm," Kelly countered. "But fine, I'll tell you. Dreams are a gateway into our subconscious, and maybe yours was trying to tell you something?"

"Like what, I want to kiss any woman that calls me mean names and demeans me?" Fred asked not sure what she was trying to get at.

"Fred, the woman fits Kathleen's physical description, is mean like her, and in your dream you called her Kat and she reacted he way Kathleen would. I'm just saying we thought Kurt was dead but he wasn't."

Fred was shocked by the suggestion. "Are you saying that you think that woman was Kathleen?"

"I'm saying that some part of you is telling us that it's Kathleen, even if we didn't recognize her. At least that's my theory," Kelly added. "I could be completely off but…It's just a possibility."

Fred considered that possibility and cursed. "If it is her then she's going to be furious with me for not recognizing her." Fred set his hands on the sink and leaned forward. "Could it actually be her?"

"It could be," Kelly answered.

Fred thought for a few seconds and then suddenly felt relief. "Makes me feel a lot better about the dream at least. I'll have to do an experiment the next time I see her. Hopefully she won't hit me too hard."

"Well, I'll wish you good luck with that, Fred. For now just get some sleep. We have no idea when that woman might come back so no reason dwelling on it." Kelly moved away from the sink and out of the bathroom.

Fred stayed for a while longer, trying to come up with any evidence that it was or wasn't Kathleen. The only real evidence he had it wasn't her was that she was dead but Kurt had proven that the dead weren't always dead. Maybe Kathleen hadn't died during the augmentation. Maybe that had been her, calling him names and undermining his authority. That was what she did best and maybe it was why she had felt familiar enough to call him a name like 'marshmallow'. Fred moved out of the bathroom and back to his bed, finding that Kelly had already fallen asleep. He stopped as he realized that there was now a lump of black on his bed. It then hit him what it was. It was the cat that Kathleen, or at least the woman he hoped was Kathleen, had been petting the day before. He sighed and gently scooted the feline to the side. As soon as he touched it the creature jumped up and moved to the side. Fred lie down on his back and let his eyes close, trying to fall asleep. Weight suddenly slammed onto his chest and he looked down to see the cat had moved onto his chest. It hissed at him and then curled up to fall asleep. Fred closed his eyes, letting the feline be, fairly sure that if it was a pet of Kathleen's if he did anything it didn't like he'd find claws in his chest.


	185. Valentine's Vacation

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Valentine's vacation**

Kelly lay on the bed, catching her breath. John kissed along her jaw, settling onto the bed beside her. He let his head rest on her shoulder, Kelly's hand going up to his head to gently run over his hair. "Worth getting up early?" he asked.

Kelly let out a single laugh at the question. "Absolutely," she assured him. "Now let me up." She tried to push him off but he held tight to her. "John, I have to get Sam ready for school." She sighed when he still wouldn't release her. "If you let go once I get back from taking Sam to school we can go for another round." John hesitated for a moment and then released her. She knew that would work, after all he tended toward being more amorous in the mornings.

Kelly climbed out of bed, before John changed his mind, and quickly got dressed. By the time she finished John had already settled in her spot, asleep. She smiled at his sleeping form before leaving the room. Kelly moved to Sam's room a bit down the hallway. He was struggling to get his shirt on but had managed to put it on sideways so the sleeves were facing his back and chest. Kelly stifled her laughter. "Need some help?"

"No, I can do it," Sam insisted. He struggled around until he finally fell, landing on his butt. The four-year-old sat in silence for a second. "I can't do it."

"Not yet, but I'm very proud," Kelly assured him. She moved over to her son and righted his shirt, making it easy for him to slip his arms through. "You got on your underwear and pants without help, and you were so close with the shirt. Next thing I'll know you'll be sitting at the table waiting for breakfast and won't even need my help."

Sam grinned at the praise and Kelly let him take the lead as they made their way to their kitchen. Sam took his seat at the table and Kelly moved to the cabinet. She poured him some cereal of wheat flakes and cut up a banana into it before setting it on the table. Once she'd poured the milk Sam started to eat. Kelly put together his lunch as he ate and by the time she'd finished he was draining the milk from the bowel.

"Do you have everything for today?" Kelly asked as she took his bowel and moved over to the sink. She rinsed out the dish but left it in the sink to be cleaned later.

"Yep," Sam answered happily. "I have my box and all the cards we finished last night. I'm going to have the best cards out of everyone."

Kelly smiled at her son's enthusiasm. "You are just like your father, so focused on being the best. Come on, lets get your box and I'll drive you to preschool."

Sam ran through the house and came rack a few seconds later with a green box. Kelly must have missed the construction of the box or she would have questioned the decoration. The main decoration was a pair of eagles that faced each other to make a heart. There was a brown rabbit hugging a heart that read 'I love you'. There was a DMR and an assault rifle crossed over a pint heart. Kelly let it go though. There was no reason to argue what was already made. Sam ran out to the warthog outside, grabbing the handholds that were put on for him. He'd gotten good at climbing into the vehicle but Kelly still had to pass him his box. He'd left it on the ground so he could climb in and she felt it was important to let him be independent when he wanted it and help him when he was willing to accept assistance.

Kelly drove him to school and she held his box for him as he climbed out of the jeep. "Have a good day today, sweetheart." Kelly placed a light kiss on her son's cheek.

"I will, I promise, and dad says that promises should always be kept." Sam grinned and held his box tight. "Happy Valentine's Day, mom."

"Happy Valentina's Day, Sam." Kelly watched her son until he was in the building before she got back in the jeep and drove home. When she got home she headed to the bedroom but found that John wasn't there. She frowned, not understanding why he'd changed his mind.

Kelly searched through the house and was surprised to find him in the kitchen, standing before the stove. "You know it's a bad idea to cook naked," she commented.

John looked over his shoulder to her. "I have pants on, that means I'm only half naked. Perfectly safe to cook half naked. Now take a seat." He motioned toward the table.

Kelly took a seat and watched him as he cooked. "Be careful though. You might burn that lovely chest of yours." John glanced back at her and smiled, acknowledging the comment. "So what are you doing? I thought we were going to have another round."

"We will, but I thought I'd make you breakfast." John moved something from the stove and then grabbed a plate, moving over to the table. He set a plate down before her with a stack of pancakes. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek before taking a seat. "Happy Valentine's Day, Bunny."

Kelly smiled at him and looked to the food. "Aw, you even put chocolate chips in it." Kelly cur into the pancakes and started to eat. "This is very thoughtful, John."

"I wanted to do something special for our first Valentine's day as a married couple. So, did you get today off?" Kelly nodded to John's question. "How about we spend the day in bed."

Kelly chuckled and finished the food in her mouth. "John, at some point we'd start to chafe." She cut up more of the pancakes and stabbed them with the fork, holding them out for John to eat.

"I don't mean it that way. I mean whenever we take a day off we always have things to do. Why don't we spend all of today in bed, sleeping, talking, just relaxing, and perhaps a bit of fun." John ate the offered pancakes.

"I think that's an excellent idea. Fred is going to pick Sam up today and take him for the rest of the day. He should be home tomorrow around noon but until then I think that it would a great idea to just spend the day relaxing with my husband." Kelly returned to her pancakes.

John went to cleaning the dishes and setting them to dry. By the time he had finished Kelly had finished her breakfast and John cleaned her plate as well. Kelly stood behind him as he worked, leaning against his bare back and resting her cheek on his shoulder blade. He just allowed her as he worked and finished with the dishes.

They went back to the bedroom waited until John was in the bathroom. She'd expected to spring her surprise on him later that night but if they were just going to stay in bed now seemed like a good time. She changed and sat down on the bed, leaning back on her hands and crossing her legs, hoping that the pose had the effect she was hoping for. John moved out of the bathroom and froze when he spotted her. Kelly wore a set of blue lace undergarments. Kelly smirked at his reaction, noting the way he stared at her body. "Well you just doing to stand there Johnny? I'm waiting." John grinned and quickly crossed the space, charging her and pinning her to the bed as they got to business.

They spend the rest of the day lying in bed, enjoying the day together, just relaxing in bed. They talked for a while, just catching up on things, good memories, and what they had planned for the future. They got frisky a few times but most of the day was spent just lying in bed. It reminded her of the years during the war where they would just enjoy one another's company.

Kelly woke up at eleven o'clock the next day, surprised to have slept in so much. She untangled herself from John and took a quick shower. John joined her after a while and Kelly left him to clean up when she'd finished. Kelly got dressed, putting away their clothing from the day before, and went down stairs. She started to make lunch, knowing that Sam would be home soon. John joined her a bit later, choosing to ignore her suggestions of ways to help and choosing instead to stand behind her and mutter things into her ears from time to time trying to make her blush.

The front door opened and Sam came running into the house. He was holding his box from the day before. "Daddy, look what I got." He held out a card and John took it from his son. "See, Mary got me a special Valentines as well. She says I'm the bestest friend ever." Sam beamed happily. "She liked her card as well, but I had to explain to her what it meant."

"Well not many people understand what it means to call someone your Blue Two," John assured his son. "All the other kids have no idea, but you and she know what it means." Sam grinned and ran off through the house to his room to put his box away. John moved back to Kelly and she raised an eyebrow at him. "It means best friend," John answered her unspoken question. "Remember Sam was my best friend and my Blue Two. You were my best friend as well and were perfect to take over as Blue Two, you were just more than a friend." Kelly placed a light kiss on his cheek and turned back to the pasta in the pot she was stirring.


	186. Gray Hearts

**Pairing: Jai/Adriana**

**Title: Gray hearts**

Jai watched on the security cameras as Adriana made her way onto the station. He sighed and gave into his desire and had the camera follow her. He watched the way her hips moved and her steps were graceful. She walked like a woman who had grown up in a proper setting but over the past few years had seen some tough fighting and had let some of her more proper habits drop. It was all a part of her current cover story at this rebel station. It wasn't the first time Adriana had used the persona and he admitted to himself that he like this persona.

They took on so much of who they pretended to be at these stations that it had been natural when they slipped into using them in the bedroom. It had allowed them to keep things fresh over the years and try new things without being embarrassed. Not that Jai had ever been embarrassed of anything he'd ever done with Adriana but he had been embarrassed from coming up with bad ideas. The good thing about her current persona was she was the most open to new things, new places, and she was a bit looser than the other roles Adriana sometimes took on. It fit perfectly with Jai's current persona of a former low level rebel who split off because he detested the violent actions of the insurrection leadership. The discussions they would usually have to start off with both of them arguing the opposite side of their actual emotions which helped widen their perspective of the situation but it also tended to end in wild sex that was more heated than most of their other persona combinations.

"Good thing Adriana has no idea how dirty you are," Mike commented, causing Jai to turn in his chair to face the man. "Wonder what she'd say if she knew you were watching her on the security camera."

"She's not going to find out. Shouldn't you be in the kitchen, anyway? If you ruin the food you are not getting a cat." Jai scowled at the other man, trying to emphasize how serious he was. "We only have a short time to get everything ready. I need to get changed and you need to finish cooking and set the table." Jai stood from his seat and moved out off the bridge.

Mike trailed after him. "The food is fine. It's in the oven to keep it warm but it's ready to be served. I even finished the desert and it's in the fridge. Ready for you to pull it out when the time is right and give it to her." Mike chuckled at his own innuendo. "So I get to pick any cat I want, right?"

Jai sighed and stopped. "Yes, you can pick any cat as long as you get it spayed or neutered and it isn't currently pregnant. Color, breed, and gender are all your choice."

"Good, cause I want to get a female cat, brown, and name it Rachel." Mike was rather pleased with himself. "Finally I'll have a companion of my own."

"Adriana and I have extended our offer several times, you keep turning us down," Jai pointed out.

"I don't want a bedmate, well unless the cat likes to sleep on the bed, but you know what I mean." Mike started to walk and Jai walked with him. "I don't need to have sex with my companion. I just want something to give affection, talk to, and have a bond with. A cat is perfect."

Jai had long ago accepted that Mike didn't have any interest in sexual relations with another person. Jai didn't mind, though he couldn't really relate. He couldn't even imagine Adriana touching him and it not bringing up any physical desires. "You don't have to join us for sex. Don't tell Adriana I said this but just lying with her is almost as good as sex. It makes me feel comfortable, connected to her, and makes me happy. Sex is just icing on the cake."

"Jai, you and I both know it wouldn't work. What you and she have is for the two of you, not me. I'd be happy with a cat to talk to, something to feed and have sleep on the chair next to me on the bridge," Mike reasoned.

Jai nodded and stopped as he reached where they had to split off. "If that's what will make you happy. How about while Adriana and I are eating you head onto the station and see if you can find a Rachel that suits you?"

"Well I suppose if she's going to live on this ship she might as well get used to Adriana shouting for you to go faster or harder as soon as possible," Mike teased. Jai frowned at the other man. "Fine, I'm going to go check on the food then find myself a loving pet."

Mike moved away and Jai turned down the hallway toward the barracks. He took a very quick shower and changed, moving into the main sitting room where they usually sat and ate their dinners in comfort. Mike had been thoughtful enough to put out a simple table and a pair of chairs.

"Why are you in uniform?" Jai turned to find a confused Adriana staring at him. "Did I miss something?"

Jai stood tall in his uniform. "Happy Valentine's Day."

A smile spread over Adriana's face. "You actually remembered it this year." She moved across the room and put a hand on his chest, running her fingers over his uniform. "You even got dressed up."

"I remember you saying you liked the way I look in uniform so I figured it would have to be good enough. In also have a dinner for us, cooked by Mike, and desert." Jai smirked a bit as she moved a bit closer to him.

"You really think we're going to make it to desert?" Adriana moved her hand to his neck. "You think we'll even make it to dinner?"

Jai moved his hands to her hips. "Well the food is in the oven, being kept warm. If you can't wait then we can put dinner off." Jai closed the space and although he started out the kiss gently but Adriana quickly turned it forceful. Jai decided to cut off the contact. "We should eat."

Adriana groaned but moved over to the table and sat down. Jai moved into the kitchen and prepared them two plates of food. There were some vegetable that Jai could never remember the name of but he enjoyed, bread rolls that had been classically baked on the station, and roasted Moa. Jai set the plate in front of Adriana and his own seat before he settled onto his chair.

"Is this what I think it is?" Adriana pointed to the Moa and Jai nodded. "Wow, I haven't had Moa since the last time we were on Reach."

"Some guy here breeds them and when I saw that he was selling the meat I knew it would be a perfect meal. Too bad we have to kill all of them. They have some useful things."

"We should stock up on Moa meat before we destroy them. It would be nice to have a slice of home when in Covie space." The female Spartan sliced into the meat and ate it. "This is excellent. Remind me to thank Mike for cooking."

"You can thank him by not throwing his cat out of the air lock," Jai said as he started to eat his own dinner.

"You're actually letting him get a cat?" Adriana asked, surprised. "You really caved? Why?"

"It was the only thing her accept as payment for cooking this meal and leaving us to have Valentine's Day alone," Jai explained. "He promised to keep it out of our room, put the food and litter box in his room or an unused room, keep the cat to the bridge and his room, and keep it off the counters."

"Well as long as he does those things then I suppose that I can tolerate it." It was obvious from her tone that she wasn't really a fan of having an animal onboard but she'd put up with it. "So while I was on the station I spotted a good place to put a bomb."

Jai put up a hand. "No shop talk tonight. Tonight is just about you and me, no rebels, no Mike, and no talk about future plans to blow people up." Adriana sighed and they fell silent for a few minutes as they ate. Jai finally decided to break their silence. "Do you remember when John took his first team out on a mission?" Adriana raised an eyebrow. "Some of the best days we've had, and some of our last before everything went to Hell."

"I remember it, though being like that seems like a dream. Things were so much easier when all we had to fight were humans. You remember lying in bed for hours, just enjoying each other's company?" Adriana laughed. "Hard to think that we missed so many chances back then."

Jai nodded, understanding what she meant. "Something about back then, physical things just weren't appealing. I was happy to just lay there with you, holding you against me. Not sure when that changed." Not that he hadn't enjoyed her touch he'd just never felt a desire to start anything back then.

"I do. Remember when that trio of hunters attacked us. You thought I had been killed but I was just right behind it. That night you...well let's just say it's still one of my favorite memories." Adriana smirked. "It was one Hell of a first time."

Jai remembered that day well. The relief when he'd found out she was alright. He remembered that night and had always held it as a precious memory. "No, it had come back before that. At some point I became physically attracted to you again but I didn't know if you were still physically interested that way in me. When I touched you that night, the eager way you responded, I knew you felt that desire as well."

Adriana smirked. "Jai, I never lost my desire for you. I was just waiting for you to make the first move." Adriana shook her head. "Seems we wasted time."

"We can make up for it after desert," Jai assured her. They continued to talk about good times throughout the dinner. When they finished Jai took their plates and prepared the desert. He took a deep breath and moved back out to the table. He set the single slice of chocolate cake in front of Adriana.

She stared at the cake for a few seconds and then looked up to Jai. "What are these?" She motioned to the pair of gray rings on the top of the cake.

Jai knelt down beside her and carefully took her hand. "If you'll allow it, they're wedding rings. Adriana, will you be my wife?"

Adriana frowned. "Jai, are you crazy?"

Jai was surprised by her words. "I'm not crazy. We're out here, so far away from the UNSC and we have the freedom to be married if we want. Every time we go to a station who's to say we aren't married? I don't care what the UNSC says. I love you and want you to be my wife."

Adriana stared at him for a moment. "So you're proposing that when we go into stations our personas are married?"

Jai shrugged. "That's one part of it. I'm also requesting that we wear an open symbol of our love and I get to call you my wife. I'm asking for the closest thing we can have to a marriage."

Adriana let out a long sigh. "Why do you want to be married? We sleep in the same bed, have sex, and love each other. What else could you want?" Her eyes narrowed a bit. "This is another one of those jealousy things, isn't it? You want to lay claim on me so no other guys will hit on me. You know flirting is a great way to get people to give information." She pulled her hand from his and stood up.

"Flirting doesn't involve letting a man stick his tongue in your mouth," Jai countered as he stood as well. He was now annoyed, not understanding why she was turning him down. "Is it really so hard for you to believe that I want to marry you because I love you?"

"I can't believe you're still stuck on that one time. I was mad at you and I let it go too far. Get over it." Adriana's voice was rising in volume. "Don't give me that 'because I love you' crap. You've never mentioned marriage before."

"It was a sort of spur of the moment thing. I thought you'd be happy to not have to hide our relationship." Jai was starting to feel hurt. She was turning him down, denying his attempt to show the world their love. He regretted his next words the moment they left his mouth. "Do you not love me? Is that why you don't want to be my wife?"

Emotion flashed over Adriana's face. Surprise, pain, sadness, but were all quickly covered by rage. "How dare you!" She shoved him back hard enough that his back hit a wall. "How dare you question my love. I have loved you all these years. You're just too stupid to see that we've been married for years." Jai stared at her stunned. "We are sharing our lives, Jai. Our hearts, souls, and bodies. What more is there to marriage than what we already have?"

Jai leaned against the wall as he considered what she was saying. It was true that they didn't have property, a last name, or any of the other legally binding reasons people got married. At night they laid down in the same bed, they had sex without any moral questioning, and even if it wasn't publicly binding they belonged to each other. By the basic definition they were married. "You are my wife."

"Finally you get it." Adriana grabbed the rings from the cake. She slipped them into her mouth and a moment later opened her mouth, the rings on her tongue. She pulled them off and slipped one of them on. She then moved to Jai, taking his hand and slipping the ring on. "Now that that is settled, let's ruin that uniform." She suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him to her, colliding their lips together forcefully.


	187. Crossroads

**Pairing: Palmer/Lasky**

**Title: Crossroads**

Lasky fought not to pace, trying to keep his calm. He was standing behind the communications building, knowing that very few people came back here and he wouldn't be notices. He felt a bit awkward standing around in his officer's combat uniform but he didn't have the time to change before he'd have to be somewhere else.

He spotted her walking around the building and toward him and he moved to meet her. They met half way and their lips met in a quick kiss. "Hey, Sarah. How was your meeting with the admiral?" Lasky asked. Before she could answer he put up a hand. "Wait, I want to give you this." He held out the heart shaped box. "Happy Valentine's day, Sarah."

She took the box and smiled at him but there was a slightly sad look in her eyes. "Thank you, Tom, that's very sweet. I'll be sure to make all the other women jealous." The smile fell completely from her face. "Listen, we need to talk."

Lasky froze, knowing what those words meant. He'd heard them from other women, right before they dumped him for one reason or another. He sighed and nodded. "About what?" He already knew what. She didn't like him being so high above her rank, she didn't like them being so separated, or she'd simply found another man. Lasky could imagine a hundred different reasons she might have.

"I've been offered a new position by ONI," Palmer explained, her gaze on the box in her hands. "They want me to be a Spartan IV, lead them."

"That's great news, Sarah." Lasky knew she'd be able to hear the tone of fear in his voice. "You're the perfect person to lead them. You don't seem so excited about it."

"Neither do you," Palmer countered. She was right but Lasky was just preparing himself for the hammer to fall. "Soon I'll go in for augmentations. It'll make me stronger, faster, heighten my senses, and should reinforce my bones." She finally looked up from the box but as soon as she made eye contact with him her gaze turned down again. "I thought you should know in case that was...I don't know." She shook he head, as though trying to clear out cluttered thoughts. "I guess in case you think it's all too freakish and you'd rather find a woman who's more...normal."

Lasky looked at her, stunned. He tried to find words, still not believing what she was saying. She wasn't breaking up with him, she was giving him a chance to break up with her. "Are you going to become part Covenant or something?" he finally asked. Palmer frowned at him. "Well that's the only reason I could possibly have a problem with this."

Palmer shook her head and moved over to lean against the building. "You don't get it. I'll be super strong, like kill you with one hit strong. I could hurt you, Tom, on accident. Who knows if we'd even be able to be physical again." She turned her gaze back to the box in her hands and ran her fingers over the red cardboard. "I'd understand if you wanted to find someone you could actually be with."

Lasky moved over to stand before her, his hand going to her neck and pulling her forward a bit as he kissed her. His free hand moved to her waist and he felt one if her hands rest on his shoulder. When he broke the kiss he pushed her back against the wall, pinning her there. "We'll make it work. I'm not interested at all in giving you up."

Lasky had expected her to be happy, for her to accept his gesture and relax but she didn't. Her gaze turned sad and she stared down at his Commander insignia. "They've never done these augmentations on adults before. It might turn out that I don't even survive." Lasky heard something in his voice that he'd never heard before.

Lasky raised a hand up and let his fingers gently brush against her cheek. "I know you, Sarah. There's no way some scientific augmentations would kill you. If you're going to die in the service it will be doing something good, something heroic, or something that saves people."

'It's never that simple with ONI, Tom. Even the strongest people can fall to the activities of eggheads. I've lost friends to the things that ONI scientist will do for their own gain, not caring about life." Palmer leaned toward him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. She wouldn't look at him and Tom knew that was a bad sign. Palmer was usually a strong, independent woman, but the woman in his arms right now was, if he dare say it, scared. She was gripping his shoulders trying to pull herself closer.

"You'd never let some eggheads get the better of you." Lasky made sure to use her nickname for scientist, knowing that she never called them anything else. He gave her a tight hug, letting her know that he was here for her. "I know that when the augmentations are over you'll come back to me and we'll make it work."

Palmer lifted her head from his shoulder and slipped her arms around his neck. "You really think so?" There was a bit of a playful tone to her voice and he knew that it was a good sign. She was relaxing, her fears disappearing.

"Of course I do. You and me, we made it through the war, through all of this, and we'll make it through whatever is ahead." He hugged her tightly. "I love you, Sarah."

"I love you too, Tom." Palmer grinned and loosened her grip, letting herself lean back against the wall. "Now how about we stop wasting time?" She moved one of his hands to the back of Lasky's neck and pulled him down to her.


	188. Old Wounds

**Pairing: Kat/Carter**

**Title: Old wounds**

Carter walked into the Noble Team barracks, making his way to his cot. Beside his cot was Kat's where Noble Two was sitting, tearing up bits of pink paper. He frowned as he watched her for a moment. "What are you doing?" He finally asked.

"Destroying these stupid valentines that people gave me." The woman didn't look up from her activity as Carter moved to sit on his cot. "Stupid holiday."

"You don't like Valentine's Day?" It was rather obvious but Carter didn't want to assume that and deny possibilities like the cards simply containing offensive comments.

"What gave it away?" Kat sneered. "I hate Valentine's. It's the worst holiday." She tore up another card and dropped it onto her bed. She groaned as she picked up the next card. Carter looked at her, confused. "Richard gave me one."

Carter was surprised when she tore up the card. "That one was from a known friend. Why did you tear it up?"

"Because it's just Richard making another damn pass at me. I don't want to read some offer for 'the night of my life' again." Kat tossed the torn up card to the side with the growing pile of shredded paper.

"I told you to be careful about how you let him treat you. I can have a talk with him, tell him to back off," Carter offered. He'd become more and more annoyed with Richard making passes at Kat, though why he didn't understand.

"I don't need you to fight my battles, Carter. Richard is simply a horny fifteen-year-old who has never grown up. Besides, if you do that you'll probably end up coming off as possessive and then we'll both have to suffer through Richard making comments about the both of us."

Carter nodded, knowing that she'd made up her mind. "So why do you hate Valentine's so much? Hurt by an old crush?"

Kat froze and her angry gaze turned to Carter. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Kat tore up another card a bit more violently. "It's a stupid holiday that revolves around a lie." She suddenly stood up and stormed out of the room.

Carter groaned, not sure exactly what he said that had made her so mad. He had to guess it was his last comment though he didn't know why. He sighed and stood up, heading after her. He didn't like her being mad at him for personal things like this.

It took some time but Carter finally found her in the locker rooms, sitting on a bench. He didn't say anything just sat down beside her. Carter was surprised when she jumped suddenly and moved away from him. Her gaze turned to him and he could see the traces of tears along her cheek. "Kat..." Carter felt a sudden wave of guilt over him for making her cry. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you and make you cry."

"I'm not crying because of you," Kat assured him, lifting her hand and trying to rub away the water. "It's just bad memories, I don't want to talk about it." Carter had learned that meant it was about her old team and she wouldn't budge.

They sat in silence for a while before Carter spoke. "What did you mean it is a holiday built on a lie? What lie?"

"Love, love is a lie," Kat answered. "There's only horny and it turns to hate eventually. It is nothing more than a lie that we are fed and this holiday only shames those that haven't fallen for the lie."

"Love isn't a lie, Kat." Carter frowned as her gaze turned to anger. He sighed and decided that there was only one way to argue his point. He hated to reveal anything personal, he wasn't sure how comfortable he really was with that but he had no choice. "I loved someone and it never turned to hate."

"Who would love a stiff man like you?" Kat asked, her anger causing venom to seep onto her words.

"Her name was Joanna. Maybe it wasn't full love, we never got that chance, but we had a thing and I cared about her a lot. It wasn't me being horny, I liked her for her personality. Maybe it would have become love but she was killed, died right before me, a sniper having hit her lungs and she hid the severity of her injury from us. Next thing I know she's gasping for breath and we couldn't patch her up. I held her as she breathed her last and we had to just leave her there, continue with the mission."

"Sorry to hear that," Kat said, though it only half sounded like she meant it.

"That's why I asked if it was a crush. Because that was the reason why I hate the holiday." Carter sighed, a bit uncomfortable with having told her about it but he somehow felt relieved she knew about it. "Could you do me a favor and not tell anyone about Joanna? I've never told anyone."

"Carter, I can keep secrets. You have no idea the amount of secrets I have and have never given up." Kat stood and Carter watched her as she moved out of the room. Kat stopped in the doorway and looked back at him. "He wasn't a crush," she said before disappearing behind out the room.

Carter stared at the doorway, considering what she said. So she'd been serious with a man and he had either broken her heart or died like Joanna. He felt a bit more connected with her with the shared information. He smiled slightly and stood up to follow her back to the barracks.


	189. Too Long

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Too Long**

John stood to the side of the room, waiting as they removed Fred's armor. After him would be Kelly and then he'd be able to have his own armor removed. He looked over to Fred, the once green plating of his armor blackened with burns. The recent fight had been a long one, longer than most. All of their armor was set to be repaired before they could get them back.

John frowned as he got a notification of a new message. He expected it to be some report on the recent loss but instead it was a number. It took him a second but he finally realized it was a room number. John opened a private channel with Kelly. "You found a room?"

"Yeah, belonged to a Lieutenant that didn't come back from his mission. Figured he wouldn't mind us using it." Kelly didn't look toward him and John could only see her from the corner of his eye. "I'll be waiting."

Fred stepped down from the machines, moving over to the lockers to get dressed. John noted that Kelly movements were a bit less crisp as she walked up to the machine, likely from fatigue. He watched as they removed her armor, looking for any sign of new wounds. The under layer was intact but he didn't feel relief until she was stripped of that as well and he could see that there were no new marks. He watched her as she moved away from the machines and toward the lockers. John had to stop himself from reaching out, trying to touch her. He had to remind himself that he still had his armor so he wouldn't be able to feel anything anyway and the action would simply be stupid to indulge in.

John moved to the machines with purpose, knowing that each moment was a lost moment. As soon as they had removed his under layer he moved across the lab to the lockers. He put on pants, a shirt, and his boots. Once he was dressed he left, heading straight to the room number Kelly had given him, trying not to move at all faster than was normal as to avoid any attention.

When he entered the room he found Kelly lying on the bed, warm under the covers. John stripped his clothing away and checked to be sure the door locked. He moved over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. Kelly's eyes opened and she smiled at him. "Sorry, must have been more tired than I thought."

John nodded, understanding what she meant. The moment she started to sit up he reached out, his hands on her sides; he lifted her up and moved her onto his lap. She turned on his lap so her legs were perpendicular to his but her chest was facing him.

John set his chin on her chest, his hands running over her skin. One of his hands moved over her back, enjoying the warmth that radiated from her skin. He felt her hands move, one on his shoulder and the other on the back of his head, holding him close. He moved his other hand up her side, over the sheet he'd taken with him in his haste to hold her. His hand had just reached her bust line when his fingers found flesh. He stopped, just holding her as she let her chin rest on his forehead, turning her head a bit so her cheek was touching more of his skin. He felt her hot breath spread over his forehead, each breath seeming to wash away some of the stress from the long fight.

The hand on her back gently moved, running along her spine and tracing scars here and there. The fingers of his other hand curled, gripping the sheet between them, he pulled himself away from her just enough to be able to pull the sheet down, exposing more of her to him. The hand on her back pushed their bodies together and John just let the warmth of her sink into him. It spread through him, easing tired muscles, numbing aching bones, and warming his flesh in a way only she could. They just stayed like that for a while, basking in each other's company, touch, and warmth.

Kelly tightened her grip on his shoulder. "Usually by now you would have already started feeling me up. What's wrong, John?" John didn't say anything, he didn't want to. He just wanted to focus on the warmth that was sinking down into the deepest parts of him. Maybe he should have started to touch her more sexually but it was too late now. "John, if you don't tell me I'll get off your lap."

John sighed, knowing that if he had to choose between answering her question and losing her skin under his hands it wasn't going to be a hard choice. "You just disappeared and we couldn't find you." His hand moved a bit so one of his fingers touched the soft flesh of her breast. "I was concerned."

Kelly relaxed her grip on him a bit. "It wasn't that big of a deal. I'd evacuated the civilians long before the Phantom hit the building. I couldn't radio because there were too many enemy troops around and I didn't want to put the civilians in danger."

"I know that," John assured her. "I'm still not sure how your armor got so burned and cracked and you came out without a scratch." It really was a marvel. Usually with the amount of damage that had been done to her armor she would have been injured but she'd somehow managed to be unscathed.

"I'm just that good," Kelly quipped. "Though the concern is appreciated I don't see why it would still be bothering you now? I'm right here on your lap, safe. You don't need to worry."

"I know that," John argued. "I'm just enjoying the fact that you're warm." Sure that wasn't exactly true. He often found that his worries were only really relieved when he could hold her like this, touch her skin, and enjoy her warmth. "Would you prefer that I took more intimate actions? I would be willing to grope you if that would satisfy you."

"You don't have to, John. It's just out of the ordinary for you to not make love to me after you've been scared for me." Kelly moved her hand to his neck and her finger moved along his hairline. "I'm just fine with holding you like this."

John thought for a moment, trying to decide if he had the energy to partake in sexual relations with her. His hand started to move over her skin, his head lifting from her chest and she leaned down, their lips touching his and John decided that although he was tired her kiss and her touch made the familiar desire rise up in him. His hands started to move and he deepened the kiss. They moved as one, each movement a bit more forceful, moving a bit quick, and each touch a bit more needy.

When John woke up it was to knocking on the door. John thought of ignoring the knock but it might have been something urgent. He reluctantly removed himself from Kelly's embrace and grabbed the sheet, putting it over her to keep her warm. He then moved to the door and unlocked it. The metal slid open and Fred stood on the other side.

"There you are. We're set to go into cryo in a few minutes and we didn't want you to be late." Fred glanced over john's shoulder to where Kelly was sleeping. "Good, she's here too. We were looking for her as well."

"Yeah, we wanted to get some sleep." It wasn't a complete lie so John didn't feel bad about giving it as an answer. "We'll be there shortly."

Fred nodded and was about to move away but stopped. "Oh, by the way, sir. Next time when the answer the door if you're going to take the time to cover her you might want to put pants on." With that he left.

John shut the door and cursed as he realized he had forgotten to get dressed. At least he'd been lucky and it had been Fred. Another Spartan wouldn't say anything but if it had been an average soldier there would be gossip, rumors, and then both he and Kelly would be in trouble. John moved back over to the bed and gently shook Kelly until she awoke. She rolled over to look at him, pulling the sheet around her a bit tighter.

"Kelly, are you all right? Your skin feels unusually hot." John reached out, his hand touching her keep and he frowned as he realized how warm she was. The height he'd felt from her when holding her wasn't simply from their desire, rather she was actually hotter than normal. "Kelly, you need to go to the infirmary."

Kelly pushed his hand off and sat up. "No, I'm fine, John." Her hand moved to his chest and he could feel the heat from it spreading over his skin. "I'm more interested in what got you out of bed."

"Fred," John answered, looking down at her hand. "He says we're supposed to go into cryo soon. Kelly, get dressed." John stood from the bed and grabbed the clothing off the floor. He sorted it out and passed Kelly's clothing to her. She reluctantly got dressed and he did the same. "I'm going to head to cryo. You head to the infirmary."

"John, I'm telling you I'm fine. You're overreacting to something that's not a big deal," Kelly brushed him off. She slipped on her shirt, standing up from the bed. "I'm fine."

"Kelly, you'll go to the infirmary, that's an order," John asserted. He moved over to her and put the back of his hand against her forehead. "You're burning up. I'm sorry Kelly."

"There's nothing to apologize about, John. I'm fine and I'm going to cryo." Kelly tried to move around John but he grabbed her arm. She looked up at him and frowned. "What?"

"You're going to the infirmary. This is not an order I will allow you to disobey," John asserted. "I'm sorry that I didn't notice how hot your skin was. I falsely identified it as my desire to feel your skin when in fact it was actual temperature. Now go to the infirmary before I carry you there."

Kelly sighed reluctantly. "Fine, I'll go to the infirmary, if you give me one last kiss." John didn't hesitate, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. He lingered longer that he should have but he was aware it was likely the last kiss he'd get before they went into cryo. When they broke apart Kelly was grinning. "I love the way you taste," she whispered before she turned and moved out of the room.

John made his way to the cryo bay but didn't go into cryo yet. He wanted to be sure that Kelly was all right before he felt that his mind could be at ease. It was a lot longer than he had expected when Kelly finally reached cryo. John sent the technician away to prepare their pods while they moved to the locker and got undressed. "So?" He asked as he stripped away his shirt.

Kelly glanced around and then quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek before she returned to removing her pants. "I had a bit of a head injury, but I'm all right. They took care of it and said I was lucky to have caught it. Seems your luck helped me out."

"No, my luck helped me," John corrected. "It helped me keep you healthy." John tossed his pants into the locker. "I'll see you on the other side, Bunny." He moved away from the locker and toward the technician and the pod he was preparing. He was glad that Kelly was all right, and he felt a bit bad for not having caught the problem before then. He would have to keep in mind that he needed to be aware of such things. If he hadn't noticed she would have gone into cryo and then straight into battle without getting the injury dealt with and he could have lost her. John lay back in the pod and waited as the cold set in.


	190. Touch

**Pairing: Carter/Kat  
**

**Title: Touch**

Kat's hand reached out slowly, inching closer and closer to the glass of water on the counter. In hindsight maybe she should have been doing this with something less breakable. There was already glass and water on the floor and counter. She made a note to clean up later though for now she would focus on mastering the task at hand.

Her fingers continued forward, bumping the glass slightly. She stopped and moved her hand over slowly, trying to get a feel for how well it responded. Once she guessed her hand was over far enough she reached forward again until her hand was beside the glass. Carefully she closed the fingers of her hand, paying attention to when they were wrapped around it. With great concentration she began to lift her hand, watching the glass for any sign of slipping. She smiled as she held the glass above the counter. Well now the hard part was over. As long as she didn't smack herself in the face with it while trying to take a drink then it would be a success.

She was just lifting it toward her when a voice behind her broke her concentration. "Kat?" She turned to look at him and as she did involuntarily gripped the glass tighter. It shattered under the force sending water over the ground as bits of glass hit the floor and broke into smaller pieces.

Kat cursed loudly in her native tongue, not something she did often as she didn't really remember the language fluently, mainly only curses. It was something she did when very frustrated, and she'd been very frustrated since getting her arm. Torn clothing when getting dressed, kept smacking herself when she felt like scratching with her right arm, and she was unable to pick up such simple objects.

"Kat, what are you doing?" The voice grew louder as he took a step toward her. "Why is there glass and water on the floor?" He moved to her side but she refused to look at him. She could already see the worried look he'd have on in her head. "Kat?"

Kat sighed and finally answered him. "I'm trying to pick up a glass of water and take a drink." Kat still kept her gaze securely on the counter.

There was silence for a moment. He wasn't sure what to say and she didn't blame him. She didn't even know what she wanted him to say. She had no idea if he pitied her or was disappointed that she hadn't made as much progress as she'd hoped. He moved and the action surprised her enough that she involuntarily looked his way. Carter turned and walked out of the room without a word.

That was all the answer Kat needed. He was disappointed in her lack of progress and just wasn't willing to say it. Kat moved over to one of the circular metal tables and sat down in one of the hard metal chairs. She put her right arm on the table and then lay her left arm over it before resting her forehead on her left forearm. She shut her eyes, just wanting to give up for the day, maybe longer.

Kat didn't lift her head as someone walked into the room, or when the water turned on in the sink or turned off. She heard something be set down on the table in front of her but she ignored it until a hand rested on her flesh arm. Kat raised her head and saw that it was Carter sitting across from him. She looked down to his hand on her arm and she just focused on the feeling. "Kat, lift the canteen."

Kat looked to the canteen and then shook her head. "I'm sorry, Commander, but I can't." Kat turned her attention to the table top. "I just can't."

"Odd, I thought you didn't know the meaning of those words." Carter moved his hand from her arm. "Pick up the canteen, Kat."

Kat looked to Carter and glared at him. "I can't do it. I don't see how those words can be so hard for you to understand." Sure, Carter hadn't really done anything to annoy her but she was tired and he was as good a target as any for her frustration. "I've been trying to do even the smallest tasks but each and every time I try I just can't do it. You have no idea how hard this is." Her words were getting more frantic and angry as she spoke. "I can't put on a shirt without getting my arm caught on it or tearing it. I smack myself all the time when I automatically move my hand to scratch somewhere, not to mention I have broken several datapads because I've grabbed them too tight." Kat moved her right arm to put her hand on her forehead but instead ended up smacking herself in the head. Kat cursed and she put her head on her flesh arm still sitting on the table.

"Kat, look at me." Kat hesitated, before lifting her head from her arm. She looked to him and then down to her robotic hand. Carter's hands were holding her hand and she felt a sudden wave of sadness. She couldn't feel his hands on hers, couldn't feel his skin. She couldn't help the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes. "Kat?"

"I can't feel you." Kat closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling. She wanted to just give up, but she wasn't so weak that she was willing to cry, particularly not in front of Carter. "I can't feel your skin."

Carter quickly released her hand and grabbed her other hand, holding the skin hand in his carefully. She was happy to feel the warmth of his skin. "You can still feel me, Kat." He must have realized that Kat had perked up a bit and smiled slightly. "You're also still you, and I know you. This arm is just another piece of tech and I've never known you to let a piece of tech get the better of you."

Kat shook her head. "It's not that simple. This isn't some tech that I can fiddle with easily or look up a manual. It's not about the tech, I can move the arm just fine. It's my brain that doesn't get it right. I can't control or fix my brain."

Kat watched Carter as he seemed to think over the situation. He wasn't as good at dealing with how to help his soldiers personally. He was fine at understanding the soldier part of them, but not the part of them that was human. "Well if you were trying to assist a person with adjusting, what would you do?"

Kat didn't answer right away. She was sad and tired but she wasn't so out of it that she would miss this. He was asking her what she would do, likely to use it to try to help her as she was the one he turned to when the soldier's human sides needed mending. She thought for a moment and then answered. "I'd offer them a reward system. If it were Emile, I'd offer him the chance to carry particular weapons, or have dibs on certain enemies."

Carter narrowed his gaze, studying her. "So why not give you a reward system in order to encourage you to keep trying?"

Kat smiled a bit. "Because you wouldn't approve of what it would take to make my reward system." Kat squeezed his hand to indicate what her reward system would consist of.

Carter was silent for a while and his gaze was staring at her hand in his. He thought for a while and then looked up to her. "Pick up the canteen." Kat frowned at him and he held her hand a bit tighter. "Pick it up."

"What do I get in return?" Kat eyed him, trying to decide if this was a trap or if she really believed he would reward her in the end.

"What do you want for it?" Carter asked.

Kat had to think about that. She hadn't actually expected him to offer to reward her. "Could I get a kiss?" It was a good place to start. Not necessarily too much, but not too little.

Carter frowned. "I think you'd have to do something bigger than just pick up an object." Carter shook his head. "Maybe a kiss on the hand, I could do that."

Kat considered the offer and smirked. "If you can stop at just a kiss on the hand." Carter frowned, not liking the insinuation that he had no self-control. Kat turned her attention to the canteen and for the next fifteen minutes she worked on moving her hand toward it without tipping it over and carefully gripping it in her robotic hands without damaging the container.

Kat had just gotten the canteen to her lips when a Lieutenant entered the room. "Commander?" Carter nodded and stood up. "Sir, the Admiral wants to speak to you."

"I'll be there in a moment." The Lieutenant nodded and moved off, leaving the Spartans alone. Carter hesitated for a moment before he looked back to Kat. "I'll accept getting that far as success." He reached over and took her human hand in his, lifting it up and brushing his lips over the back of her hand. "Well done, Kitten. Keep up the work and we'll see what rewards seem appropriate."

Kat watched him leave the room, a bit disappointed. Maybe a part of her had been hoping to turn it all to her advantage, to enjoy some comfort from him. She made a note to figure out which Admiral had called him and do something to get back at him once she had proper control of her arm.

"Hey there, sexy." Emile walked into the room, fully armored up. Kat flinched a bit at the use of Thom's nickname for her. She was sure he used it on purpose or had just heard Thom say it and had just repeated it. "You don't seem so happy."

"Having trouble adjusting to my arm being anything other than flesh." Kat raised the arm a bit and let it fall to the table loosely. "Commander wasn't giving me adequate rewards to motivate me either."

Emile tilted his head to one side and then the other. "Maybe I can motivate you." Kat frowned at him but Emile put up his hands. "Why do you always jump to the conclusion that that is what I mean?"

"Because usually that's what you mean," Kat answered.

Emile shrugged. "You've got me there, but that's not what I mean now. I mean, I can offer you something that you would like, very much. I'll hand it over if you can learn to use that thing." Emile motioned to the robotic arm.

"Is it worth my time?" Emile simply nodded his head in reply. Kat thought it over for a few seconds and then shrugged. "Couldn't be any worse than the weak rewards that Carter is offering." As Kat saw it she was never going to get more than a brief kiss on her cheek, and that was if she was lucky. "All right, I'll master this thing but you better keep your end."

Emile put his hand on his heart. "Scouts honor." He chuckled as Kat raised an eyebrow. "Fine, I swear on my shotgun. Better?" Kat nodded and Emile moved to take the seat that Carter had sat in.

Kat frowned and stood up. "I'm going to get to work." With that she left the room and headed for her workspace, the only place she'd be able to properly work.

Kat stood at the station, emptying her clip into the target across the range. When it was empty she turned back to the man watching her. "See, I can use it perfectly." Kat put the gun down and held up her robotic arm. "So?"

Carter stood from where he was leaning against the wall and motioned for her to come to him. Kat crossed the distance and moved to stand beside him. "How did you do it? Master it so quickly?"

"I put my mind to work," Kat answered. "Installed sensors on the fingers. They are linked to the base nerve that control the arm and when I touch things they send back a certain signal to my body, sort of a bit of pain to indicate that I'm putting pressure on an object." She reached over, putting her robotic hand on his arm, putting a bit of pressure on his skin and slowly running the fingers down his arm.

Carter watched her hand and frowned. "That causes you pain?" There was something in his voice that made it clear he wasn't happy with it. "Is that a good idea?"

"It's not like being stabbed or anything. Just hitting a nerve a bit in order to indicate to me that my hand is gripping something. It's not a big deal, Carter. Like pinching yourself." Kat dropped her hand from his arm. "So, what do you think?"

Carter considered it and Kat waited patiently for his answer. She leaned back against the wall and just watched him, trying to figure out exactly what he was thinking. She was surprised as he suddenly moved, hands on her face and his lips pressed against hers. It wasn't a quick kiss like she's expected, it was much more. It was a kiss like the ones they'd shared in their days of indulgence. Long and passionate, hinting at such intimate feelings that they had both buried so deep.

They broke apart and Kat realized that he'd moved to stand before her, his body against hers as he would have done in the time when they accepted their affection for one another. Carter didn't pull away from her, a look of unease on his face. He sighed and took a step back. "Kiss on the hand isn't enough," he muttered. His voice returned to its normal level. "Well done, Kat." Carter nodded and moved away, maybe a bit too quickly.

Kat just watched him leave, smiling to herself, pleased with her reward. "Someone's happy. Finally get the hang of that thing?" Emile motioned toward her arm. Kat nodded and Emile chuckled. "Guess that means I have to pay up."

Kat thought about it for a moment and shook her head. "No, the Commander came up with a good reward. Better than I thought he could."

Emile shrugged. "I'll send the pictures to you anyway. You might as well have them as they're no good to me. The Commander's not really my type." Emile moved over toward the selection of guns and grabbed an assault rifle. "Every want to test that thing of yours out I'm sure that you and I can come up with an activity that needs delicate precision."

Kat set her hands on her hips. "What would you know of delicate or precision?" Emile moved over to one of the stations. "I don't think I've ever seen you use a weapon that has any sort of precision. I don't think I've even ever seen you even throw a punch with precision."

Emile set the gun down at the station and turned back to Kat. "You give me the chance and I'll show you how delicate and precise I can be." He took a step toward her and she could feel his eyes on her.

"Don't say words if you can't back them up." Kat smirked at him and then turned, walking away from the firing range and heading to find some task that needed her attention. She'd have to check those pictures later. See if they were all that Emile had talked them up to be.

**Author's note: If you aren't already aware I have started my M rated series, Spartan Love: After Dark. **


	191. Shore Leave

**Pairing: Catherine/Leonard**

**Title: Shore leave**

**Author's note: I know that there's no direct Spartans in this but…well shut up and just read. **

**2585**

Catherine sat in the back of the pelican, smiling as she listened to the rest of her squad explain what they were going to do with their shore leave. It had been two months since they'd been deployed and it had been a rather boring assignment. Her team hadn't been on solid land for some time and she'd be glad to have dirt under her feet again.

"What about you, Kat? What are you going to use your shore leave to do?" Catherine's closest friend on the squad, Nala, asked. "You going to see that cute man of yours?"

Catherine shook her head. "He's not here right now. He's still on duty on some ONI ship that's checking out the glassed worlds for signs of life. He won't be back in this system for another two months."

"Damn, by that time we'll already be redeployed. When are you going to see him next?" A man across the pelican named Brandon asked.

"I don't know. Whenever the UNSC wills it. Until then I just wait for us both to be somewhere and get a video link." It wasn't the ideal set up, but they'd been doing it since they'd graduated to full soldiers and had been deployed to separate squads. Catherine was just used to it.

"Well then what are you going to do while you're on leave?" Nala asked. "Are you going to try to get a chat with him?"

Catherine shook her head. "The ship he's on is probably too far out of system. I'm going to go see my family and spend some time with them. I haven't seen any of them for two months so it will be fun."

"Time with the family. You have an odd view of fun, Kat." Brandon shook his head, laughing a bit.

The pelican slowed and turned, finally coming to a stop. Catherine released her harness and grabbed her bag from the space above her head. The soldiers filed out of the pelican and Catherine looked around the landing field. She easily spotted Avery, Rosa, and Jacob who were waiting for her. She turned and headed straight for them.

Rosa waved as Catherine nearly reached them. She moved forward first and hugged Catherine. "Welcome home, Kat. How was the deployment?"

"Boring as usual. There's not much action these days but ships feel safer with some ODST protecting them." Catherine moved over to Avery and gave him a hug. "How are you all doing?"

"Pretty good. I've nearly finished by book and I sent in a script to Doctor Who." Avery smiled as he hugged his sister. "You are looking health for someone that was bored nearly to death."

"Oh, we weren't bored. We played pranks on some of the officers to keep ourselves from becoming zombie soldiers." Catherine smiled and turned to Jacob. "No offense to officers, of course, but they are fun to prank."

Jacob shrugged. "Don't worry, if we catch you we get to make your life hell, so we don't mind as much." Jacob hugged his sister then took a step back. "So if that's your only bag then we should head to mom and dad's house for dinner."

At that point Catherine wasn't paying attention to him. She'd spotted someone over Jacob's shoulder and she was just staring at the person as they moved closer. She moved past Jacob, much to her brother's confusion, and moved toward the person. She got close enough and was sure that it was who she thought it was. Catherine dropped her bag and ran across the space. "Leonard!" She nearly tackled the man to the ground but he held firm as he caught her, hugging her tight as she kissed him.

They broke the kiss but Catherine rested her cheek on his chest as they continued to hug. "So, are you going to introduce us to this man who you're embracing?" Catherine looked over her shoulder at a frowning Jacob.

"Oh, right, you guys don't know about him. Jacob, Avery, Rosa, this is my boyfriend, Leonard." Catherine released Leonard's neck but put a hand around his waist.

Leonard put his hand around Catherine's waist and nodded to them all. "Greetings, I'm Lance Corporal Leonard Parthax. I have heard about you, I am sad to hear you haven't been informed of me."

Jacob took a step toward him and from the annoyed look on his face Catherine had an idea of what he was going to say. Before he could get anything out she stepped forward. "Shut your mouth right now. I have sources that say you've been seen buying gifts for someone so you don't get to lecture me on my secret boyfriend or do anything that dad would do." Catherine crossed her arms, daring her brother to defy her command.

"Why haven't you told any of us about him? Why are you keeping him from our parents?" Avery asked. "I mean you're old enough to date. The only reason I kept Rosa from them was because I thought they'd think I was too young."

"Because you know how dad is. I don't want him trying to scare away Leonard." Catherine leaned against her boyfriend and gripped him a bit tighter around the waste. "I'm not risking him scaring this one away."

"I'm sure your father is intimidating but I don't scare easily," Leonard assured her, pulling her a bit tighter to his side for a moment.

"You must not know who her father is." Rosa smiled slightly and Leonard nodded. "Catherine's parents are Spartans. Her father is the Master Chief, the one that destroyed the Ark."

Leonard stared at her for a moment and then looked to Catherine. "All right, that would be sufficient to scare me into hiding. Though I wouldn't leave you just because they scared me. I love you too much to let a disapproving father get in the way." He leaned over and kissed her forehead lightly.

Catherine leaned her head against his shoulder and frowned. "Damn, I have to go to dinner at my parents and I don't think I'm ready for you to meet them." At the moment she didn't want to remove herself from his side. It had been over a month since they'd even spoken to each other and longer since they'd been face-to-face in person. She didn't know how long they had or how long it would be before she would be able to see him after they deployed.

"You know we could tell your parents that you were exhausted and needed the night to just relax and be alone and that you'll come by for lunch tomorrow," Rosa offered.

Catherine grinned at her. "That would be great. I promise I'll be there." Catherine removed her arm from Leonard's and grabbed his collar and dragged him along. "Come on, we're getting my bag and heading to the apartment. I have plans for you."


	192. Snow Fall

**Pairing: Carter/Kat**

**Title: Snow fall**

Carter groaned, trying to block out the rambling of his second-in-command. They moved across the snow covered base, bundled up in winter gear. Carter wore a winter jacket and snow pants to keep in as much heat as he could manage. Kat wore a winter jacket, snow pants, a blue scarf around her neck, and a gray hat that had little cat ears on it. Thom had given her the hat as a joke but she'd liked it and had been using the hat.

"I swear I just want to look at it. I promise not to touch it and it will only be for a few minutes" Kat pleaded. "Come on, Candy Lips."

Carter scowled at the woman. "What did I tell you about that nickname?" Carter scolded. "You are not being allowed near that prototype and that's final." The Nobel Leader continued to walk along what he guessed was the path, though he couldn't see it under the snow. Carter was starting to wish he'd grabbed a hat or gloves as the cold was starting to sink in. He shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to keep them warm.

"Come on, Carter, I'm sure you could sneak me in. I just want to see it." Kat grabbed his arm, wrapping hers around his. "Please, Daddy." She pouted up at him. "If you get me in to see it I'll love you forever. Or I could do something special for you." Her pout turned to a smirk and one of her hands moved up to run a finger over his cheek.

Carter froze, trying to ignore the thoughts her comment brought up. Thoughts of his desire for her glove to be gone, to find out what she was offering, and hope it was the same thing in his mind rose up. He needed to stay focused, needed to restrain himself. "Kat, no, and don't call me Daddy."

"Oh, found another nickname you don't like. I'll have to add it to the list of names to call you by." Kat released his arm, removing the scarf from around her neck and looping around his. Kat grabbed the scarf close to his neck and pulled him down toward her. "Come on, Daddy, you know you want to take me up on my offer."

Carter cleared his throat. Kat had pulled him down so his face was only an inch away from hers. "Desire to accept the offer is not the issue," he countered. "It is if I should or shouldn't on a duty basis that is the question." He hadn't realized he'd leaned forward a bit hovering so his lips were just barely not touching hers.

"Then let me answer that question." Kat pulled the scarf slightly and brought their lips together. Carter fought to keep his mouth close, not open up to her willingly. He clenched his fist to keep him from touching her. Her body pushed against him and he focused just on controlling himself. He didn't react quickly enough as she pulled on him again, tipping their weight too far and upsetting their balance.

Carter managed to break away from her before they hit the ground, hands going out to try to soften the blow and keep himself from crushing Kat. The snow gave a bit to their weight and they left an indent where they had landed. Kat had loosened her grip on the scarf but not by much. She seemed to not even notice that she'd sink into the snow a bit.

"Oh, I like this view," Kat teased. She pulled on the scarf trying to urge him to continue kissing her. "Always knew you were a top."

"Kat, that's enough," Carter admonished. "I'm not going to allow you to sneak in to see it," he asserted. "You are not getting in."

Kat didn't speak right away, a look of genuine confusion on her face surprised Carter. She had actually forgotten about the prototype. "The only one who needs to get into something is you into me," Kat whispered.

Carter felt his skin heat, his heart race, and his breath quicken at what she was offering. It had passed his mind so many times over the years and had haunted his dreams. He wanted to take up the offer, take her somewhere private and fulfill his fantasies, but he knew better. He knew that as much as he wanted to fully indulge in his desire it wasn't really an option. He loved Kat but he couldn't allow them to break the rules and regulation in their lust.

He couldn't resist as she pulled him down into a deeper kiss. Tongues fought as Carter struggled to hold onto his control. She had made passing jokes about sex but never before had she so openly offered it. He pushed himself away though every bit of his body wanted only to be pulled closer. "We can't," he asserted. Carter could seem the dejected look on Kat's face. She looked away and he hated that what she was feeling was because of him. If only he could set aside the rules, not be her superior, or even just learn to bend them the way Kat was able to. He wanted to accept the offer but he couldn't do it, not if it meant doing something wrong.

The chill cut in and Carter could now feel Kat shivering a bit under him. He moved off of her and stood up, holding a hand out to the Lieutenant Commander. She took the offered hand and he pulled her up. "Let's get you inside. Your jacket has to be soaked," Carter said as he moved toward the base. He stopped when he realized she wouldn't match his pace but was trailing behind him. He moved to her and put a hand around her shoulder. "I know you Kat, and you're thinking too much." He forced her to move with him toward the building. "Duty outweighs physical needs or desires."

"If we really give up something like our physical and emotional needs in the line of duty then are we really still human?" Kat leaned against Carter's side as they walked. "Don't those needs make us human?"

Carter considered the question. "I don't know, Kat, but duty calls us to sacrifice those things so that others may fulfill those needs. Duty has called on us and we answered it."

"When I signed up for this I didn't think I'd have to give up even looking for one of the basic needs of humans. I didn't think I'd have to give up one of the primal urges." Kat crossed her arms, though Carter was fairly sure it was more from the cold than defiance. "Who would become a soldier if they knew they had to give up sex and love?"

"Well soldiers of the same rank could be involved. The thing is a superior officer can't be involved with a direct subordinate. It would be a breach of the code of conduct," Carter reasoned.

"So I should find someone that's not in our direct chain of command and is my rank?" Kat asked. Carter instinctively bristled at the idea of her finding another man. "I did meet a nice man named Tom once. He fits the criteria."

Carter scowled and tightened his grip around her shoulder. He could see Kat smirk and realized what she was doing. She was toying with him, making him jealous on purpose. Carter removed his arm from around her. "Don't mess with me," he admonished.

"Is it really so wrong for a girl to want to feel like she's wanted?" Kat asked.

"That's not in question, Kat. The problem is with the regulations, not your body," Carter clarified. He saw the glint in her eye and he regretted his words.

"Oh, so you do want my body?" Kat fell a bit behind and he felt her put her hands on his back, though he could only sort of feel it through his jacket. "Wouldn't have been able to resist me without this extra layer, would you?"

"Enough," Carter took a step to the side and away from her. He turned toward the barrack door and it slid open for him. The warmth of the building spread over his skin but it would be a while before it really sank into his skin. Emile and Jorge were sitting at a long table, mugs in their hands. Surprisingly even Emile lacked his helmet Kat slid off her jacket and draped it over an empty chair.

Carter moved over to the coffee machine, pouring a mug for Kat and himself. He moved over to the table and set one of the mugs down before the female Spartan. "Aw, you shouldn't have." Kat took the mug in two hands and sipped at it. "Though if you wanted to warm me up I can think of more fun ways." Carter shook his head and turned to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere else," Carter answered. "It's better if I'm away from you when you're like this."

"Oh, is the Commander giving you a hard time?" Emile teased. "Or is he giving you something else hard?" The assault specialist chuckled and Carter had to admit it was odd to hear his voice and not have it be through his helmet.

"I wish," Kat muttered, sipping from her cup. Carter decided to leave before he got pulled back in. He moved down a hallway toward an office he had for private use. Maybe they had some new orders. He could only hope.


	193. Festival

**Pairing: John/Kelly AU**

**Title: Festival**

**A/N: This is a gift for ZXSmileyXZ. Happy birthday. **

John did one more check in the mirror. He knew he shouldn't fuss but there was something special about this girl and he wanted to be sure their second date went well. Over the two weeks since what was considered their first date they had been messaging each other and the more John talked to her the more sure he became that there was something special about her. It was why he was being so meticulous with how he looked. He wore an olive green shirt, the UNSC logo over the left breast. He'd been told by women before that the shirt hugged his body perfectly and he wanted to get her attention. He decided to go with slightly baggy gray pants so it didn't seem too obvious he was trying to look good. Once he was sure everything was in order and he had everything John went out to his car.

He had checked the address several times and memorized how to get to the house so he wouldn't have to read any instructions on his way. When he pulled up to the house he double checked the address. The house was smaller than he had expected, certainly smaller than his own home. He was just about to get out and knock when the door opened and his date moved toward the car. John leaned toward the passenger's seat so he could watch her walk the entire distance. He knew once she got in the car she wouldn't like him eyeing her up but for now he could do so without insult. The blue blouse she wore dipped down her chest, giving him a good view but still not coming off as slutty. She wore a pair of skinny jeans that, to John's excitement, left little to the imagination. He enjoyed watching her move, the way she walked with such grace that it was captivating.

He only forced his gaze away when she reached the car and he didn't want to be caught staring. The car door opened and she slid in. He watched her, intrigued by the ease at which she did the movement. "Hey, John," she greeted.

"Hey, Kelly. You look nice." He allowed himself one last look over her body to indicate he meant it.

"I noticed. You did watch me all the way to the car. Nice try at the end to make it seem like you weren't but I could see you through the window." Kelly reached over and touched his arm, squeezing his bicep a bit. "Nice," she commented. John gave her a confused look. "Oh, like you weren't hoping I'd try to feel your muscles. A guy doesn't wear a shirt like that unless he wants his build to be felt up."

"I was actually just hoping to get a longer than average look from you but I fully approve of the groping of my muscles if it helps me meet your criteria better." John shifted into dive and they took off toward the festival.

"Muscular build actually isn't one of my criteria, though it doesn't hurt. I just wouldn't turn down a nice guy just because he isn't well built. Though we've already established that you're physically attractive to me," Kelly pointed out. "I wouldn't have given you my number if you weren't."

"So if physical build isn't what you found attractive in me then what is it that makes me attractive to you?" John saw Kelly frown out of the corner of his eye. "Most of the women I've been on dates with seem to be attracted to me because of my build. I'm just interested in what you find attractive."

Kelly didn't say anything for a moment. "Your eyes," she finally said. "I like your eyes." John didn't really know what that meant but he made a note to make as much eye contact as he could.

They parked on one of the side streets and exited the car. They would have to walk to the festival as there wouldn't be anywhere closer to park. As they walked down the sidewalk John contemplated if it was too soon to hold her hand. Maybe that was something he could do later in the night but if he did it now Kelly might think he was moving off fast.

"Do you go on dates often?" Kelly asked.

"Depends on what you consider often. I date women fairly regularly." John didn't really know what to make of the question. "Why?"

Kelly shrugged. "You just seem nervous or something. I figured you just don't know how to date a woman."

John frowned a bit, not sure if he should be insulted. There didn't seem to be any malice to her comment so he didn't take it offensively. "At what pace to you prefer things to progress? I know different girls like to move at different paces."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Well if you're thinking of putting your arm around me or kissing me then you're moving too fast. First date, if it goes well, a kiss on the cheek. Second date if I'm having a good time you maybe can put an arm around my shoulder. If you do really well you'll get a kiss at the end of the night. After five dates I'll probably allow open moth kissing, though at that point I should also be considered a girlfriend, not just casually dating. After a month of dating maybe ill let you cop a feel. After a year of dating maybe you'll get to see me naked. Though that's just a guess as no guys made it that far. Then again all times are really and estimation and don't account for individuals making me want to move faster."

"That seems very though out," John remarked as he took in the information, surprised how clear her schedule was. Most women he'd dated didn't seem to want to put that much thought into it. "I was asking more if it would be too soon to hold your hand," John admitted. "Why do they never make it to a year?"

"Some guys find how planned out I have it as a negative." Kelly scowled at his question. "Because they usually make it to a month, feel me up, and then leave me for a woman with bigger breast." It was a blunt answer but John appreciated it. He didn't like when women were unclear or beat around the bush. In every conversation he'd had with Kelly she'd either been honest with him or clear that she didn't want to talk about whatever it was.

"I just had a Mike moment," John admitted. Through their messaging he had divulged some information about his friend. He'd let her in on the fact that his friend, Mike, often said whatever came to mind when around his girlfriend no matter who else was there. John and his friends had dubbed any time they thought of something dirty as 'Mike moments.'

"Oh, you have to tell me what I was. You told me all the others." Kelly grinned at him. "I'll let you hold my hand if you do."

John smiled at her enthusiasm. "I was just thinking that I can't wait for our one month anniversary to judge them for myself. I also thought about how I'm more than happy to wait a year to see you naked." John held out his hand, letting her know he wanted her to pay up.

Kelly took his hand and they let their joined hands fall limp between them. It wasn't long before they had reached the festival. Kelly insisted that she pay for her own ticket and John agreed. He'd always believed that until a woman was an official girlfriend the man didn't need to pay.

Once inside they just walked around for a bit and talked. John learned that Kelly didn't have any siblings and that her parents were a subject that was off limits. In return he shared with her information about his own family, his mother and father, and his younger sister. They grabbed some food and sat down at a table to watch a illusionist that was doing tricks for the kids.

"So what do you want to do?" Kelly asked as she balled up the wrapper of her sandwich.

"Well there are some games down that way that I thought we could try. I figured winning you a prize might be appealing to you. A show of skill tends to make a man looks to be more worthy of mating, or at least through natural logic it does," John answered. "If I want to make it to a month or year then I have to be appealing for mating."

Kelly laughed and John couldn't help but smile. Her laugh was so light and cheerful it was infectious. "That would work, if I wasn't planning on kicking your butt at any game we play and winning things for myself," Kelly countered. "And before you say I can't, I'll remind you I'm sure I could take you in a fight."

"Fighting is very different from games. If a person has no combat training they'll lose a fight, but games like the ones here are partially just chance," John argued. "I'll make you a bet. If I can win more games than you, then you promise we go on a third date."

"Are you sure you want a third date? You're assuming that I'm not going to embarrass you too badly and make you never want to see me again." Kelly smirked at him. "We'll see what you think when we're done."

"If you win the bet I wouldn't be embarrassed. Though I will warn you that I am told that I'm lucky." John stood from the table and smirked at the woman. "Let's get going, unless you're afraid of losing."

Kelly stood up. "Oh, now you're on. And if I win then we go to the face painting booth and you get a flower on your cheek." She moved toward the games before John could even answer. He smiled, enjoying her enthusiasm.

"And here I thought we were beating innocent things. Though it seems that if you win you 're absolutely determined to embarrass me." John followed behind her as she walked ahead of him. He didn't rush to follow her, allowing himself to freely watch her rear as she walked.

They made their way down to the games and the competition started. They began with a simple game where they shout water at a target, trying to make a small space cruiser go up a railing to a light at the top. John lost, just barely, but she still beat him. When they finished they headed to a game where the goal was to throw darts at moving targets. The problem was that it was really about reflexes. John lost at this as well, though he was stunned at how quickly Kelly seemed to be able to react to the targets. The only reason she missed any of them was because John had tried to make her slip up a bit by putting a hand on her waist. It had worked and had gotten him an amused smirk. They played a game where they had to throw rings at metal rods. It was really a game of chance and John's luck held out. He managed to just barely get a ring onto one of the rods. The game after it was pretty close. They were shooting targets as they passed by, competing against each other to try to get the highest score. John won that game by only ten points.

At this point in the day the son was starting to drop. They walked around the area, trying to find another game to play. John had a green and purple stuffed snake wrapped around his neck and was holding an eagle in his free hand. Kelly had a stuffed tiger and a teddy bear that John had won for her.

"You know we could consider this a tie. I get to choose what we do next, and you get a third date," Kelly offered. She suddenly stopped and looked to the side. "Actually, one more game."

John looked in the same direction as her and spotted a game booth covered in stuffed animals. "See something you like?" John couldn't help but smile. The game was one that was loosely making goals the way a player did in grav-ball.

"The rabbits," Kelly answered. "I like rabbits, sort of collect them." She looked toward the game again. "Though I haven't played grav-ball since I was like seven."

"Well then you're in luck." John smirked. "I play on my school's grav-ball team. I'm going to win that rabbit for you." John decided to take a chance and put his arm around her waist carefully.

"Hand off," Kelly ordered. John removed his arm from her waist, defeated. "Win me that rabbit and then you can put your arm around me." She crossed her arms and waited for his reaction.

"Well then, I'm off to win a rabbit." John moved over to the game and Kelly followed him. This was a perfect chance for John to show off some of his skill, though he tried not to think of that. If he did then it was likely that he would chock and fail, the exact opposite of what he wanted to do in front of Kelly. Sure he didn't mind her beating him but failing at something he was supposed to be good at would have been awful. Particularly when she really wanted a prize from the game.

It took him more concentration than in a game or practice as it wasn't exactly the same as the actual game so it took him a bit more time. To make the shots but in the end he managed to get a good enough score. As soon as he finished he motioned to the rabbit for the attendant to get it. He slid his arm around Kelly's waist and took the rabbit when it was passed to him.

He gave her the rabbit and she clutched it to her chest. "I guess this means you are guaranteed a third date if you want it."

"I am having a good time. I'm sure that our third date will only be better," John assured her. He had enjoyed all of the night so far and the more time he spent with Kelly the more he enjoyed himself. Kelly was independent, strong, had reflexes that he couldn't even follow, and she liked a lot of the same things as him. John could easily see her becoming more to him, at least a girlfriend, though he'd wait till they kissed to be sure. "So what shall we do next?"

Kelly looked around and then suddenly moved away from John. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him along behind her. "Let's get a photo." Kelly pulled him toward a photo booth. John didn't fight against it, just let her drag him. She seemed so excited by the idea of getting a photo, like a an excited child on a sugar high. It was sort of cute.

She pulled him into the booth and they sat down on the bench inside the booth. Kelly insisted on paying as it was here idea and John let it go. He was a bit too focused on how close they were sitting together, the way her thigh felt beside his. She leaned against his side and John put his arm around her shoulder. There was a flash as the booth took the first photo. The image appeared on a screen before them and John frowned.

"Wow, you need to relax, you look so stiff in that picture." Kelly laughed, trying to cover her mouth to stifle the sound. "You need to just take a deep breath and relax." There was another flash and John cursed. The image on the screen showed him annoyed and Kelly laughing at him. "Oh, you're cute when you're upset."

"I'm not upset, and I am relaxed. I just don't look that way," John argued. "If it were a more natural of a pose then I wouldn't seem so stiff." John hesitated for a second and then moved quickly, putting his other hand on her waist and pulling her toward him, pulling her against his chest. John smiled at the look of surprise on her face and the slight blush on her cheeks. The camera flashed but John didn't even look at the picture. Kelly's hand moved up to his neck and he let her pull him down toward her. Their lips touched and John held her a bit tighter. He didn't even notice the flash. When they finally separated John found that he was still holding her tight to his body. They were silent for a moment before John spoke. "So, how soon will you be free for that third date?"

Kelly laughed and he felt her hand moved a bit on his neck. "I'll get back to you after I've checked my schedule." Kelly turned away from him and reached over, grabbing the holo-still that contained the pictures. She clicked through them and John looked over the images. "You look must more relaxed in those last two," Kelly admitted.

John looked over the images as she flicked through them. He had to admit that he looked stiff in the first couple of pictures but he looked more at ease in the final pictures. He also noted that they looked pretty good together. "Can I get copies of those?"

"Sure, I can send you copies once I get home." Kelly put the still away and John slid out of the booth. Kelly followed him and they moved back into the festival. They wandered around, checking the stalls that were selling goods for a while until the sun had gone down and things had gotten dark.

John led them back to his car and drove Kelly home. When he stopped out front of her house Kelly didn't move from her seat. She stared at the house but made no move to leave. "Is something wrong?" John asked.

Kelly scowled and shook her head. "Can you take me somewhere else?" she asked. "I can give you directions." She pulled out her phone and started to type.

"Sure, just tell me where to go." John decide not to push the subject and just followed her instructions. He didn't know where they were going but Kelly was messaging someone the whole way, giving him directions from time to time. They finally stopped outside of another house, this one a bit bigger than Kelly's house.

"Thanks for driving me, John." Kelly leaned over and kissed him quickly. It was a bit too short for John's liking but he wasn't going to argue.

"Two kisses on the second date. That's a good sign, isn't it?" John asked.

"Either it's a good sign or a sign that I haven't had a date in much too long," Kelly answered. "Message me when you have a plan for our third date." Kelly moved out of the car and toward the house. John watched her walk up to the house and a blond haired woman met her at the door. John waited until Kelly had moved into the house before he drove away. He wasn't sure why it was that she hadn't wanted to go home but he was sure that he would learn in time. For now he would just focus on coming up with a good idea for a third date.


	194. Seperation

**Pairing: Fred/Kathleen**

**Title: Separation**

Kathleen turned her head to the side, allowing Fred access to her neck. Kathleen smiled as his hands moved lower on her body. "You cannot be ready for another round." Kathleen smirked as she heard his laugh and felt it vibrate against her skin. Her hand moved over his shoulder along a small scar. "We should get up, we've been in bed for over an hour."

"So," Fred countered. He nipped at the skin of her neck. "We won't be in bed together for a few weeks. I think we're entitled to spend a few extra hours in bed." Kathleen jumped a bit as Fred squeezed her rear a bit. Kathleen smirked, always enjoying how Fred was more adventurous and commanding in intimate matters. It was at least one place Kathleen didn't have to bully Fred to make himself more assertive.

"Fred I still have morning exercises with my soldiers." Kathleen tried to move out of his grip but he held tight. "Fred if this turns into a sparring match I will kick your butt." She pushed his head away a bit but he just laughed it off. "Seriously, Fred. We have the entire afternoon for you to get your fix."

Fred grumbled but finally released her. "All right but only if I get to join your afternoon shower."

"Deal," Kathleen agreed. She slid off the bed and moved to the closet. She got dressed into her simple workout gear. She'd just slipped on her shirt when she felt Fred's arms wrap around her. She simply leaned back against him , just letting him hold her. She was going to miss this just as much as the sex and conversation. She loved his warmth, they way he handled her so gently but with a warmth that somehow made her just happy, not annoyed at being treated like she was fragile. She knew Fred would miss it as well so she just allowed him to hold her without complaint.

Fred hugged her a bit tighter for a moment before he released her. "I'll be waiting for you when you get home,"'he assured her.

Kathleen smirked at him, raising a hand, gently touching Fred's cheek. "You going to surprise me?"

Fred returned the smirk. "You know I will." He turned and and moved out of the room. Kathleen watched as he walked away, enjoying the view before she left for her daily exercises.

Kathleen returned home after a few hours and started through the house. "Kathleen." She turned around, realizing that Fred's voice was behind her. She moved to the kitchen and found Fred standing beside the table.

Kathleen scowled as she as he was in the black under layer of his armor. "What are you doing in that? You know how hard it is to get those things off."

"I know, I've dealt with trying to peel one off you when you get home." Fred moved over to her and took her hand. "I wanted to surprise you with lunch and then an afternoon of intense love making, but plans have changed. They pushed ahead my departure time."

Kathleen gripped his hand. "Why?" She couldn't help thinking this was someone's plan, some way to get back at one of them for something. Maybe she'd just spent too much of her life on edge and she was paranoid but paranoid could save a persons life in her line of work.

"There's supposed to be a meteor shower in the system and they want to get there before it to prevent any damage to the ship." Fred led her over to the table. "I know out of the two activities we had planned for this afternoon this isn't the one you'd chose but if I'm going to be gone I want to leave you with the activity that I would chose." He pulled the chair out for her.

"So you'd rather eat food than screw me? Great to know," Kathleen muttered. She wasn't really complaining, it was just she couldn't put her full force behind her teasing. She was supposed to get an afternoon with Fred to absorb as much contact as she could with him and here they were reduced to only being able to sit across from each other. She still took her seat and let Fred push it in.

"No, that's not it at all. I simply want to be sure that if I can only express my love to one half of the things I love about you I'd rather show you my love for your personality. Besides, when I get back there will be plenty of time for showing my love for your body." Fred smiled as he served their food. He'd prepared steak which didn't surprise her. If he was going to be away she knew he'd cook something particularly nice for their last meal together. He always had a skill with meats and she did appreciate the amount of time it must have taken to prepare the meal.

"Really? You're going to go with the gentleman thing? Usually when I'm about to leave you get frisky, would have chosen sex over food. At the least you'd either make an offer to let me eat this surf off your abs, or feed me something different." Kathleen smirked suggestively.

"I would if you were the one leaving, but that's completely different. When you leave I want to remember you as the confident woman you are, taunting and teasing me to get what you want, even when I'm in control. I want to remember you that way before you leave. I was thinking of how I wanted you to remember me while I was gone when I made this choice," he explained. "I want you to remember me as the man devoted enough to spend the time preparing steak for you in the middle of the day and who takes the time to appreciate your personality and mind, not just your body."

"But what if that's not how I want to remember you?" Kathleen asked. "What if I want to remember you as the strong commanding man who fights back against his authority being questioned and is forceful in bed? What if that's how I want to remember you? I see the gentlemanly side of you all the time, Fred. You never make me cook, which might mean I will starve while you're away, you always make sure I have a clean towel when I get out of the shower you leave chocolates on my pillow after you make the bed, and even though you dominate in the bed you always make sure I'm taken care of."

Fred considered her words and then reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "Next time I will take that into consideration and instead slather you in chocolate and lick you clean. Would that make you happy?"

Kathleen stared across the table at him before replying. "Is that not currently a possibility? Because I'd eat cold steak if it meant doing that."

"I don't think we have enough chocolate," Fred answered. "We'll make sure we have enough for next time." With that he released her hand and turned to eating his food. "Do you mind if I ask why it is you prefer to remember me the way I am in bed?"

"Only if you tell me exactly how I'm not the same out of bed." Fred nodded in agreement. "Because you're more confident in bed. You take charge, don't doubt yourself like you do in combat, and...well if I remember you that way I'm more confident you'll come home."

Fred stared at her for a moment, the piece of meat on his fork forgotten. "Wait, are you saying that you feel less like I'm going to come home if we sit down for a nice mean than if we ruin a pair of sheets?"

"Well it's not that simple. It's about your attitude in the sack. I know that there's a leader in you, Fred, you've just shoved it so far down under doubt that it doesn't show. Unless we're in bed. When we have sex all that doubt vanishes and the strong, confident man I love comes out without hesitation," Kathleen explained. "Now tell me how I'm different."

"I think I understand what you mean." Fred returned to eating his food as Kathleen cut into her own. "It's not that you aren't spirited and strong out if bed, it's the way you're spirited and challenge me. Usually when you tease or challenge me they come off as insulting or harsh but in bed they are more sweet, or encouraging rather than mean-spirited. I like that softer side of it all that you show off. I'll admit I also like that you submit to me." Kathleen frowned, not exactly happy with that claim. Fred put up his hands to ward off insult. "I don't mean that I'm stronger or that your weak or anything. I know you give me control, and that means a lot. It shows me how much you trust me and let's me know that you love me enough to give me that trust."

Kathleen sighed but relaxed a bit. "Can we get off the topic of sex? If you're not going to screw me than I'd rather not get worked up." Kathleen stabbed at her steak.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to get you aroused when I'm not going to be able to render my services." Fred returned to his own food. "You know John and Kelly have a thing they do to make the long trips apart easier." Kathleen raised an eyebrow at him. "Kelly makes these videos for John that are various things for when they're apart. One of them is for sexual needs."

Kathleen lowered her fork. "What exactly are you suggesting? We wouldn't have enough time to make a proper video," she pointed out.

"True but I'm going to be close enough for me to message you. I'm sure that before I go too far out system I could make a video and send it to you." Fred smiled and stopped eating. "I have to be in my suit to go up there, safety reasons, but once I'm on the ship I'll be free to take this thing off." Fred grabbed the collar of his suit and pulled it away from his skin.

Kathleen smirked and picked her fork back up. "Now there's an idea." She grinned as she returned to eating. They turned the conversation to more average things. Fred explained what new details he'd been given about his trip while Kathleen told some recent stories about her soldiers. When they finished their meal it was close enough to the time of departure that Fred needed to leave.

Kathleen stood at the doorway, leaning against Fred's chest as he hugged her. "I have to go, Kathleen." His grip loosened and she reluctantly pulled away from him. "I promise that I won't be gone for too long and you know that these missions aren't really that dangerous." Kathleen didn't respond. There weren't any words. He was right and she was just unhappy that he was leaving. His hand moved down and gently gripped her fingers. He raised her hand up and pressed his lips to the back of her hand.

"Still trying the whole gentleman thing? I thought I said that wasn't how I wanted to remember you." Kathleen was trying to make things light. She had nothing to fear and she'd take out her need for a distraction on her troops in the afternoon. She did appreciate the gesture, and it was the sweet things like it that reminded her why he made her fell at peace. Despite the violence in her life his gentle nature and actions were a refreshing and appreciated part of her life.

Fred smiled slightly at her. "If you want." His lips touched her hand again but he spoke, list moving over her skin as he did. "When I get back you better hope you're somewhere that you're alone because where ever I find you that's where I'm going to have my way with you."

Kathleen raised an eyebrow and the edge of her lip tugged up in a smirk. "Oh, that sounds like a challenge. A challenge to find a place you aren't willing to screw me in."

"I'm serious, Kathleen. Wherever you are, that's where it's happening. No joke." Fred smirked against her skin. "I have to go, Kitten." Kathleen's free hand hit his shoulder and Fred lifted his mouth from her hand. "I love you, Kathleen."

"I love you too, Fred." Kathleen leaned toward him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I don't want you to be late for your ride up."

Fred picked up his bag and moved out the door. Kathleen watched him as he moved out to the warthog that he used and he climbed in. She watched until he drove off down the road. She returned inside and frowned as she realized how empty the house felt now. She wondered if it felt this way to Fred when she was away on a mission. She turned and moved out of the house, heading toward the training grounds. At least for now she needed to busy her mind, and beating the crap out of some trainees or at least showing up some guys would give do for now.


	195. Daylight

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Daylight**

**A/N: This story is based off of "Daylight" by Maroon 5. **

Kelly lay in bed, John's head resting on her chest. He'd fallen asleep after sex, arms wrapped around her and head buried against her chest. Her hand moved soothingly over his hair, enjoying the feel. She didn't know when the next time she'd be able to lie like this with him would be. In the morning she was set to leave on an exploration to some system she didn't care to remember the name of. With John retired the other Spartans had been placed into the role of being the Spartan II on board important ship. Kelly still wasn't convinced it wasn't their attempt to make things harder on them.

She glanced over to the clock checking the time. She was trying her hardest to stay awake, enjoy every minute, but there was still so long until she had to leave and she doubted she'd be able to make it. When daylight arrived she'd need to leave for _Infinity_ or she'd be in trouble. She knew John wouldn't be awake when she left, the late night made her fairly sure that he was going to be sleeping in. She tightened her grip on him, holding him closer to her, trying to get more contact. John shifted, moving a bit more on top of her. He settled his head between her breasts and tightened his grip on her waist. She didn't mind how tight his grip was, if she were in position she'd be holding him just as tight.

She would have to slip away when morning came and she knew he disliked waking up without her. She didn't want to think of all the mornings to come when they'd wake alone, light years away from each other. Her finger trailed down his spine as far as she could reach before moving back up to his hairline. The action made him move a bit higher along her body, still asleep but reacting naturally to the gentle touch. It left his head on her sternum and close enough that she could rest her head against his. Her finger moved to trace scars, trying to memorize the exact position, not that she didn't know most of them by heart already.

She drifted off at some point in the night but a glance at the clock informed her it had only been for a couple hours. Still, it was hours lost. She found her head resting against John's chest, his heart beat steady under her ear. She moved a hand over his chest, letting it rest on his pec, focusing on the way his chest moved with each breath. His skin had more color to it than it had when he'd returned to her. She supposed not being in armor all the time allowed him to get a bit more tan. It surprised her how pale her hand looked against his skin.

She wasn't sure when she drifted off again but when she woke next she could see the first hints of light outside their window. When they'd moved into the small building windows had been one of the first things added to make it feel more like a home. At the time she'd enjoyed the windows but now they were simply sneering at her, reminding her that soon she'd have to leave the loving embrace of her husband for the metal shell of her armor. She closed her eyes, willing the sun to go away but she knew that such wishing was pointless and that the sun would continue to rise.

After years of knowing John, of sleeping in his arms, Kelly had learned a thing or two about manipulating him in his sleep to either release her or move to a different position. The position he was in right now was an easy one. His arms were loosely wrapped around her body which was easy to get out of. She slightly rocked herself toward his side and his arm moved away. She did the same with his other arm before carefully climbing out of bed. She had to be sure not to touch either of his arms or he'd grab her again and this time the grip would be tighter.

Her feet reached the floor and she stood up. She moved over to the closet to retrieve her suit. She slipped on the skin tight matte black clothing and checked her hair a bit. She smoothed down the bit that John had messed up a bit the night before. Kelly jumped slightly as hands settled on her waist. She looked back and found John standing behind her. "You were just going to leave?" His arms wrapped around her waist and she could hear the pain in his voice.

"You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you. You're peaceful when you sleep and I want you to be peaceful." Kelly leaned back against him. "I have to go."

John's grip tightened around her. "I know, but I don't have to like it." She knew how much this part bugged him, that he'd have to stay behind. "I had hoped to wake up early and enjoy you a bit more."

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to get me pregnant so I'd have to stay home," Kelly teased. Her hand moved up, gently touching the back of his head. "I really have to go."

"I hadn't thought about how they'd have to give you maternity leave. Excellent idea. When you come back we'll have to get started." John placed a kiss on her cheek and sighed. "Stay safe, Bunny. I love you."

"I love you, John." She turned to face him and gave him a quick kiss. "Tell Sam I love him every day when he goes to sleep."

"Of course," John assured her. He moved forward and they met for a passionate kiss. His hands had moved to her waist and he reluctantly removed them. "Promise me you'll try to come back safe."

"I promise to try." Kelly took his head in her hands and pulled it down, placing a kiss on his forehead. "I'll be home, Johnny. Don't worry."

"How can I not, my heart is leaving," John said.

"Don't you worry, because I'm leaving my heart here with you." Kelly hesitated for a moment but knew she had to leave. "Remember to put some pants on before you leave the bedroom." John smiled slightly and Kelly decided that no time was going to be a better time than right then. "Bye, John." She moved toward the doorway, not daring to look back. She didn't wasn't to see him sad or she might contemplate staying. She left the small home and headed toward the airfield where the troops would be gathering to head up to _Infinity_.


	196. Shadows of the Past

**Pairing: Palmer/Lasky**

**Title: Shadows of the Past**

Sarah moved down the hallway of the laboratory. She stared down her gun as she moved along the passage, keeping an eye open for any shimmers of elites. She stopped as she reached a doorway and turned toward it. One of her squad mates moved to the controls. This was standards procedure and Sarah had done it so many times in the past. One watches through the door the other opened the door.

Sarah had been a part of this squad for years, been in dozens of laboratories just like this one, all for the same reason. To do what some scientist failed to do in his cowardice: enact Cole Protocol. Sometimes the egg heads, as Bradly called them, were too squeamish about destroying their own work. That was where Sarah and her squad mates came in. Their official name was Bravo squad but Jeffers had dubbed them the Cleaners, as they cleaned up ONI's messes. It was an honest name. In her time on the squad Sarah had seen some of the most appalling things in her life. Genetic mutations, people who had been burned horribly by plasma on purpose to try to perfect healing the burns, and a few deformed animals from some sort or experiment. Every one they had deleted the data, killed the still living test subjects, and burned the evidence to keep the Covenant from getting anything.

"You know you look damn sexy when you're about to clear a room," a soldier to Sarah's right spoke up.

"Shut it, Bradly. I'm still mad about you forgetting our anniversary so no sweet talk is going to get you any of this." Sarah didn't look toward the man, still focused down the sights of her weapon.

"What did I say about that?" The woman at the controls asked. "I don't want to hear it in the field. I can't exactly put in headphones and intones you two." Marin shook her head but continued to work on the controls.

"Aw, you're using my last name," Bradly groaned. "I didn't think you were that mad at me. Come on Sarah, I just forgot what day it was." Sarah glanced over toward him. His back was to her, watching down the hallway. "I promise when this is all over I'll take you somewhere nice and we'll have a romantic night."

"Do that and then we'll see if you earn back your first name." Sarah turned her gaze back toward the door. '"What's taking so long?"

"Oh nothing, just a way convoluted lock, and the sole opera that is you two's relationship. Whatever's behind this door must be what we're looking for. You don't use this many locks for a supply closet." Sarah agreed. In the past they'd always found the door with the most advanced lock was what they were searching for. "There, got it."

Sarah tightened her grip on her assault rifle and focused fully on the door. The metal slid open and Sarah tensed, ready for a fight. There was nothing and no one. She moved into the room and looked around, finding it to be nothing other than a wide open room. The only thing of note were two tanks on the other side of the wall.

Sarah lowered her gun as she stared at the objects inside of the tanks. "Sarah, is it clear?" Bradly asked.

"Yeah," Sarah replied, moving across the room. Her mind didn't make sense of what she was seeing, or didn't want to. The things looked like they were flesh, but that didn't seem possible. It looked to Sarah like someone had made a clay human and then just twisted and bent it until it wasn't recognizable. As she moved closer she could see that they were people, just mangled and distorted. She felt nautilus for a moment, but it passed. She'd seen some of the horrible things ONI did but this was beyond any of it. These humans looked as though their bones had children's, distorted, and their bodies had stretched and twisted to fit the new misshapen bones.

"What kind of Hell is this?" Bradly asked, moving to stand beside Sarah. There was a look of horror oh his face. Sarah was sure that her expression wasn't much different. "This is...this is inhumane."

"Who are they?" Marin asked. She moved forward to a terminal between the tanks and got to work.

"Does it matter? We have to kill them. They're obviously why we're here." Bradly sounded bitter about the task. He'd never had a problem before. Even with the burn victims they always looked at it as putting people out of the misery ONI put them in. Sarah viewed these 'people' like any of the others. They were in a bad condition and death would be the only way to free them from the living Hell ONI had put them in.

"What the...?" Marin took a step back from the terminal. She looked up at the tanks, her mouth hanging open. "That can't be."

"What can't be?" Bradly moved up to the terminal and stared at the screen. "It must be...it has to be like a code or something to hide where they came from. There's no way they're really..."

Sarah scowled and moved over to join him. She read the text above the read outs. She furrowed her brow, retreading the words several times. "Does that say these are," Sarah looked toward the figures in the tanks. "Spartans?" She couldn't believe these rue hid forms were Spartans. She'd seen a Spartan before, they were tall, strong, and weren't deformed like this.

"I have to say, I'm curious," Marin spoke up. "Are these really Spartans? I thought they were walking tanks. What's different about these ones from the ones you see in the vids?"

"It doesn't matter," Bradly cut in. "We have to kill them and knowing their life story won't help us do it any better. I'm going to shut the tanks down. Or maybe I can find a fail-safe that will do something." Bradly started to work on the terminal, searching through the system. Sarah moved to stand before one of the tanks. Her hand moved out and touched the glass. "Don't get attached," Bradly warned.

"I'm not," Sarah assured him. "I'm just looking at them. I mean, what would it be like to be disfigured like that, stuck in a tank, just floating? Why did they keep them alive?"

"Sarah," Bradly's tone was warning. "They have to die. Whatever they're feeling it will be over soon. I got something." He hunched over the terminal a bit more. "Knew it. ONI put in something invade they needed to be disposed of quickly. There's some sort of toxin I can release into the tank that will do the job."

"Bradly, I think we should reconsider," Marin spoke up. "I mean these are Spartans and we're about to kill them. Should we really be doing this?"

"This is no different than any other mission, Marin. Don't lose your will now. The mission must be completed. Hesitating like this will only cause us to fail, you know that." Bradly scowled at the woman. "I don't care what they were, I'm not going to treat them different than any other mission just because they have the label of Spartan. They're still an ONI mistake like all the others."

"But these aren't the others. They are Spartans. How do we know that these aren't just Spartans that were hurt by some crazy Covenant weapon that did this and they're trying to find a way to keep other soldiers from being hurt like this," Marin reasoned. She stepped toward the terminal and grabbed Bradly's wrist. "We should talk about this."

"Bradly's right, we can't treat them different," Sarah said, cutting into the argument. "I'll admit I'm hesitating because it does say they're Spartans but we can't let that stop us. You remember the last time we stopped to talk about it? Those grunts nearly killed all of us with their grenades." Sarah remembered the plasma burns that a lot of them had received, and the only reason that she had managed to avoid burning was because of Bradly protecting her.

"We've wasted enough time. We know the Covenant is in this area and they could be on their way." Bradly turned back toward the terminal. Sarah quickly turned toward the doorway, thinking she'd seen a shimmer of an invisible elite. She raised her gun and Bradly looked to her. "What is it?"

"Thought I saw something." Sarah looked around the room, searching for any sign of an enemy having snuck in. She didn't see anything but it might be just standing still. You couldn't see the signs unless they moved.

"check it out. I'm going to finish this off." Bradly turned his attention back to the terminal and got back to work. Sarah and Marin moved through the room, heading toward the doorway, searching for any sign, any little shimmer.

Sarah had moved half way across the room when there was a shimmer behind her. She turned around and could see the signs of movements of a camouflaged elite. It was racing toward Lasky but there wasn't enough time. She could see from the flurry of motion that it was running. An energy sword snapped to life, she could see him lurch as the blade stabbed through his chest.

"Tom!" Sarah fired, her bullets hitting the elite and bouncing off the personal energy shield. Marin joined her in firing on the alien. It turned and ran toward Marin. The other woman tried to move away but eventually just turned and ran. Sarah rushed to Lasky, kneeling down beside him. His blood was pooling on the ground and he was trying to reach up to the terminal. She didn't want to leave him long enough to finish activating the toxin for the tanks.

"Sarah!" Marin shouted. Sarah turned toward her and could see the elite, camouflage fully deactivated, and charging at her with sword at the ready. Sarah's instincts kicked in and she raced toward the elite. She grabbed at the grenades on the elite's waist, grabbing one. A hand clamped around her neck and she was suddenly pulled away. The elite lifted her up and she struggled to breath. Sarah activated the grenade as the elite moved and suddenly its blade stabbed through her stomach.

Palmer cried out and sat up in bed. She was sweating and having trouble breathing in her panic. She moved out of bed quickly, ignoring her name being called, and moved to the bathroom. She leaned over the sink and coughed a few times, almost feeling as though she'd throw up. She stayed like that, panting, and she could feel the tears in her eyes. The pain of the memories was still fresh in her mind and she couldn't shake her guilt over what had happened on that mission.

She didn't hear him enter the bathroom but she felt his arm settle over her shoulder. She turned toward him and buried her face against his shoulder. She clutched at his chest, trying to sink into his warm skin. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his chest. Sarah let herself freely cry in his embrace, knowing that he wouldn't judge her for the moment of weakness. She felt comfortable enough with him to let him be the one person she'd let see these emotions.

She let him lead her from the bathroom and back to their bed. They lay down on the bed, Sarah curled up against him. He was holding her protectively, as though he could protect her from the bad memories. "Can you talk about it?" He knew full well that she couldn't always talk about the things in her dreams.

Sarah thought about it for a moment before deciding what she could tell him. "I was thinking about the time when I was stabbed through the stomach." She felt his hand move to the scar where the blade had entered her.

"The one where some of your team died?" Sarah nodded in response. "Sarah that wasn't your fault. It's all in the past and you can't change what happened."

Sarah didn't say anything, just stayed with her face against his chest. She couldn't tell him that it wasn't just Bradly's death she felt responsible for, or the injuries that had nearly killed Marin. She felt guilt for the two other lives she'd sacrificed that day. She couldn't tell him about that part, the thing that ate her up inside. She continued to cry until she was exhausted.

They lay in bed for some time until Sarah had calmed down. "The nightmares have returned," Tom muttered, holding her a bit tighter. She wasn't exactly happy with it either. Tomorrow he would be heading off on his latest assignment and she'd eventually be sent off somewhere to clean up some ONI mess. She didn't want him to leave, she knew what it was like to have the nightmares without him in her bed. She didn't want to go back to that. She thought back to her dream, the sight of Tom dying on the ground, unable to help him. She wasn't sure when Lasky had replaced Bradly but she understood what it meant.

Sarah pulled away from his chest for the first time since he'd come to her in the bathroom. She placed a hand on his cheek and guided him down to her, touching their lips together. Tom held her a bit back but relaxed and pulled her back to his body as he realized the kiss was a simple, gentle action. It wasn't the same forceful way she would usually kiss him after the nightmares. Not the same needy kiss that asked for him to replace the thoughts in her mind with the feel of his body. This kiss was gentle, calm, and short. She pulled away and let her head rest on his chest. "I love you, Tom."

Sarah could hear his hart beat faster at her words and she smiled. It was really the reaction she had expected from him. His arms tightened around her and she felt him rest his chin on her head. "I love you too, Sarah."


	197. Routine

**Pairing: John/Kelly **

**Title: Routine**

**Post Halo 4**

Kelly moved into the small house and to the master bedroom. She dropped her bag on the floor and stripped off her fatigues. She had just finished changed into causal clothing when arms wrapped around her waist. She was pulled back against a hard muscular chest. Kelly felt him bury his face against her hair. She just let him hold her, knowing that she couldn't escape his grip now that he had her. Not that she wanted out of his embrace. She'd missed the warmth and love that radiated off of him as he held her. "Welcome home, Bunny."

"Glad to be home, John." She leaned back against him and let her eyes close, enjoying the peace of the moment.

"I'd like to hold you longer but I need to make Sam's lunch," John said, though he didn't let her go. He kissed her cheek and finally relinquished his hold on her. His hand gripped her's and pulled her along through the house toward the kitchen. She moved with him, letting him lead her. "Sam will be so happy that you're home. If you're going to be around for a week parents day is on Tuesday and Sam would love if we could both make it. I think he'd really like us to meet his class."

They reached the kitchen and he guided her to the table. She sat down and he released her hand, moving around the kitchen as he continued to talk. "Sam is doing really well in school. So well that his teachers want to move him ahead a grade. I don't think that's such a good idea. I don't think he wants to be separated from his blue two and I don't think I want to do that." John had moved to the refrigerator and had started to gather things. He had grabbed some lunch meat and cheese and then moved over to the counter.

There was an ease with which he moved through the task, the same sort of practiced movements as she'd seen him do when stripping and assembling a gun. It was fascinating to watch and at the same time beautiful to Kelly. She'd seen John kill so much in the past but to see him doing such a mondain task with the same skill he'd slit a man's throat with was like a dream. He was a Spartan, a killing machine, moving about a kitchen and making a lunch for his son. It seemed impossible. Then again, that was what Spartans did, the impossible. "I think it's also better that he grow up as much like a normal kid as he can." John made the sandwich with ease, more focused on what he was saying than the food. "It will be hard enough growing up with Spartan parents so I think that the more normal I can keep things the better." John finished the sandwich and pulled open a drawer, retrieving a plastic bag. "It's not that I don't still challenge him." He slid the sandwich into the bag and sealed it up. "I give him work here at home to try to continue his mental growth or for him to do at school after having finished his class work."

John grabbed a blue lunch bag and slipped the sandwich inside. "Representatives from social services keep coming by. But Sam is smart. He knows what's going on, and he's careful. He knows that if he says the wrong thing they might try to take him away." John moved back over to the refrigerator, grabbing out a few items. "He's careful about what he says to them, makes it clear he's happy and doesn't want to be taken away." John put the items into the bag and zipped it up. "He is always so positive and I was afraid he was just lying because he thought that was what we wanted but he assured me that he meant the things he was telling them." John put the bag away in the refrigerator. "He said he was very happy here and loved us both. He acts like he's older than his age, like he's old enough to understand things. The medical staff said that was normal."

John moved over to the counter again and started to clean up the crumbs he'd let behind. "The medical staff are seeing him once a week now to check him over because he started growing and because I think they suddenly took an interest I how much of the genetics that made us ideal to be Spartans were being passed down. I think they were just looking into it to figure out what new recruits and families would be allowed to have kids. They said something about some areas having to enact caps on family sizes because they didn't have enough resources. It's mainly on the colonies we're rebuilding." John moved over to the sink and started to wash his hands. "Anyway the staff says that he's a lot like us and we did grow up fast, training or not, so it's natural for Sam."

John turned back to Kelly who had just been watching him, fascinated. "Sorry, I've been rambling. There's just so much to catch you up on and I got carried away." He moved over to the table and sat down across from her. "How was your mission?"

John put his hand on the table, palm up, and Kelly lay hers on his. "It's all right, John. The mission was fine, now keep talking. I missed the sound of your voice." Kelly smiled at him and squeezed his hand lightly.

"Like I didn't miss yours?" John smiled back and returned the squeeze. "Now tell me about the mission."

Kelly sighed but gave in. "There's nothing to tell. What we thought was going to be there wasn't. I don't know what they were looking for but they didn't find it. Basically we sat around in a ship, that was all. I was bored."

John lifted their hands and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "I'm sure Sam and I both would prefer you on a safe boring mission than a dangerous one." Kelly frowned feeling guilty. She hated worrying John and Sam when she left. John noticed the frown and shook his head. "I don't mean it in any bad way. I just mean that we both love you and want you to come home to us. We both understand that you have to take risks as a soldier. I've been teaching him all about that. But you can't help but worry about those you love that you can't be sure are safe."

"I know John, but I love you two as well and of course I don't like making you worry. That's just the situation and we have to live with it." Kelly looked to their hands and then back to John. "Unless there was some sort of big reason why I would need to stay home."

John seemed to get her idea and stood up. "Well, last I remember I promised to try to impregnate you again. I believe that would be a big event that might give you reason to stay home." John tugged lightly on her hand and she stood up as he was directing. He didn't lead her out of the kitchen as she had expected. His hands moved to her waist and he lifted her up, setting her down on the table. Their lips met and Kelly was surprised as his body pressed against her.

John pushed her back until she was lying on the table and climbed up with her. She wasn't used to him being this forceful or urgent. His body was already moving against hers and his hands were seeking out more sensitive skin. John had always been the kind of man who needed foreplay in order to become fully aroused. It was unusual for him to bypass the warm up and start this strong. It wasn't the first time she'd been away and he'd never been like this before. "John, we eat on this table." She hoped that some playful comments would maybe snap him out of it.

"It can be cleaned off," was his only response. Kelly was surprised by the response and she pushed back against his chest. John pulled away and looked confused. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong with you? This isn't like you. Why are you rushing things?" Kelly kept his hands on his chest. "Usually you take your time."

"Sam will be home soon," John explained. "We don't have as much time for the buildup." John slipped his hands under her shirt. "We don't have time to waste." He moved back over her and continued his actions. Kelly slid her arms around his neck as she gave in to the more hurried advances.

Neither of them heard the front door open, or the footsteps as they moved closer. What they did hear was the sound of a surprised child and the footsteps running away. John pulled himself off of Kelly and stood up from the table. "Sam?" He asked as he moved in the direction their son had run. Kelly sat up and slid off the table. She followed John into the living room. Sam was behind a chair, trying to stuff something under it. "Sam what are you doing?"

"She can't see it. It will ruin the surprise." Sam looked over toward Kelly and his eyes went wide. "No, you can't be here!"

Kelly put up her hands and took a step back. "All right, I'm not here." She moved out of the room and back into the kitchen. John joined her and she looked to him. "What was that about?" John simply shrugged.

Sam ran into the room and halted a bit away from the adults. "All right, all hidden." Sam clasped his hands behind his back. "But daddy will have to keep you busy later so I can hide it in my room."

Kelly glanced toward John who was smiling and she rolled her eyes. Kelly turned her gaze back to Sam. "Well now that whatever you had is hidden, can mom get a hug?" She knelt down and Sam ran toward her. Kelly scooped him up in her arms and hugged her son. His arms hugged her neck tightly and she was surprised how much stronger he was than when she'd left. "So, what were you hiding?"

"Your mother's day gift. Mary and I made crafts and I made something for you. But you can't know what it is because it's supposed to be a surprise." Even though Kelly relaxed her grip Sam still hung tight. "I'm glad you're home, Mommy."

"I'm glad to be home, Sammy." Kelly looked to John who was watching them. He moved over to her side and placed an arm around her waist, kissing her cheek and then Sam's head. Kelly leaned against John's side and enjoyed the moment.

Kelly was surprised when John moved away from her a bit and gently took Sam from her arms. She was reluctant to release her child until she realized Sam had fallen asleep in her arms. She let John take him and followed her husband through the house. John made his way to Sam's room and lay their son down for a nap. When he came back out he carefully shut the door. "He gets tired around this time of day and even more after he's been playing with Mary. We've got about two hours until he wakes up."

Kelly smiled and leaned back against the wall. "Rather one minded, aren't you?"

John moved to stand before her and placed his hands on her waist. "I didn't suggest anything. Maybe it's you that's single minded." He moved forward and pushed her back against the wall. "Not that I'm opposed to the suggestion."

Kelly wrapped her arms around John's neck. "We've only got two hours. Think you can get the job done in that time?"

John smirked at the tease. "I can if I rush us just a bit." Kelly's retort was cut off as John claimed her lips and they moved a bit down the hallway to their own room.


	198. Too Close

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Too Close**

John moved up to the reception desk, Sam in his left arm, trying to sleep against his father. The woman behind the desk looked up, surprised by his appearance. Maybe she'd never seen a Spartan in real life or she'd never seen a worried Spartan and John knew he couldn't hide the fear from his face or wanted to. At a moment like this he had a right to let his emotions run and that fear was natural. Still he was fairly curtain that most people still thought of Spartans as stoic emotionless killers that didn't care about others and certainly didn't worry. "I'm looking for my wife," John informed her.

"I'm going to assume you mean the female Spartan they recently brought in. Take a right, head three hallways down, go left and down two more hallways. The woman there will be able to direct you to the exact room," the receptionist instructed.

John moved away from the desk and followed the instructions he'd been given. Really he didn't need them; he knew the intensive care unit when he was directed to it. John tried not to run, not wanting to scare Sam but he did walk faster than usual. He couldn't help but feel like every moment mattered, that every second he wasn't there was a second wasted. John reached the ICU desk and the woman jumped a bit at the sudden arrival. "I'm looking for my wife."

"Third door on the right," she said, pointing down the hallway.

John moved to the doorway but had to stop outside. The door was open but he couldn't enter the actual room. There were medics in the room, checking machines and talking quietly, and moving about. John couldn't focus on any of them, his eyes only able to focus on one person. In the center of the room Kelly lay on a bed, sheets pulled up over her stomach and she looked either unconscious or sedated. There were bandages visible and there was a breathing tube down her throat. The last time that he'd seen her like this she'd almost died after the augmentations. He held Sam a bit tighter, as though able to protect him from the sight of his mother in such a condition. One of the medics moved out to them. "Are you the family?" John nodded, not trusting his voice at that moment. "I'll get the doctor."

The medic left and the doctor came out. "Hello, I'm doctor Dantin. I understand you are the family."

John took a deep breath, being sure that he'd be able to manage words. "Yes, I'm her husband and this is her son." John shifted Sam to indicate the child. "How is she?"

"Right now she's recovering. They patched her up mostly on the ship on the trip back but we had to replace a few things but she should be fine, just needs to recover. I know it looks bad but it's only temporary. The breathing tube is only supposed to be in for another hour. We had to do some repairs to her lungs and to some of her internal organs. A bit of external damage but all burned skin has been replaced and all injuries have been patched up. She should wake up a bit after we've taken out the breathing tube. Once we have her recovery cleared and she's awake we'll move her to standard recovery," the doctor explained. John felt a bit of relief but he couldn't help but still be afraid. Even if she was going to be fine she was still lying on a bed hooked up to machines with a breathing tube. It wasn't the first time Kelly had been seriously injured but it felt different this time. It felt like there was so much more at stake. "She's very lucky. Most people would have died from such extensive injuries."

"Kelly's strong," John said, staring at his wife. "Are we free to see here?" John was reluctant for Sam to see his mother like this. He would prefer that Sam didn't have to face that harsh reality just yet. Maybe Fred could take Sam for a while until Kelly was awake and better.

"You're free to go in and see her," the doctor answered.

John nodded. "Thank you." He moved into the room and to the side of Kelly's bed. He decided he couldn't hide the truth from his son. He nudged Sam lightly and the ten-year old woke slowly. Confused eyes stared up at John and looked around the room.

John held his son a bit tighter as Sam saw his mother. "Mom!" He tried to push out of John's arms but he held him tight. "What's wrong with her?"

"Shhhh, Sammy. It's all right," John assured his son. "You know as a soldier that sometimes there's risk. Mom got hurt, but the doctor says she'll be fine." His voice was soft and soothing, trying to reassure his child.

"Why is there a tube in her mouth?" Sam asked.

"Because her lung was hurt and they had to patch it up. Right now that tube is breathing for her," John explained.

Sam seemed to think over the information for a moment. He was a smart kid and John was sure he'd be able to comprehend the situation. "So it's like sleeping when you're sick? Her lung was hurt so it's resting to recover and a machine is breathing until its finished resting?"

John smiled and nodded. Sometimes it was good to have a Spartan kid who was smart. "Exactly, and she won't need the tube long, just a couple hours. Then Mom will wake up then you and I will tell her how much we love her and how happy we are that she's so strong." John set his son down on the floor. "I have an idea. Why don't you ask the nice lady at the desk for a pen and paper? We can make Mom get well cards."

"That's a great idea. She'll be so happy." Sam nearly ran out of the room. John smiled as he watched his son go. He moved over and pulled up a chair beside Kelly's bed carefully taking her hand and squeezed it gently.

Sam returned and took up a seat beside John. They both worked on making cards for Kelly, John helping Sam decide what to write in his. It had been about an hour since they'd arrived when the doctors came back. They removed the tube and left again, leaving John and Sam to wait for the sedative to wear off. John was telling Sam an old war story as his son tried to go to sleep when he felt Kelly squeeze his hand. His gaze shot up and he could see that her eyes were opened. John hit the button for the nurse and moved his chair a bit closer, rousing Sam who was partially asleep. A nurse arrived quickly and left to get the doctor.

The doctor arrived a few seconds later and smiled as he entered. "Well, good to see you've woken up. How are you feeling?" He pulled out his stereoscope and moved around the bed, across from John.

Kelly coughed and her hand went to her throat. "My throat hurts," she responded. The doctor smiled and listened to her chest for a moment before nodding, satisfied.

"Mom!" Sam wiggled in John's arms and he was forced to put the boy down on the bed. The child threw his arms around his mother's neck. "You're awake." He grinned and laughed as his mother hugged him back weakly. It scared John to see her so weak.

"I'm fine, Sammy. Just needed a little nap." Kelly placed a kiss on the top of her son's head.

"I'll do some final scans and we'll see about getting you moved out of ICU." The doctor smiled and moved out of the room to talk to one of the nurses.

Sam released his mother and sat back. "I've got to go to the bathroom but I'll be right back to tell you how much I love you." Sam slid down from the bed.

"All right sweetheart. Do you need your dad to take you there?" Sam shook his head and moved out of the room. Kelly sighed once he was gone. "He's growing up so fast." There was a longing look in her eyes, almost sad.

John sat down on the bed and turned to face her. "I'm glad you're okay. When they messages me and said you had been seriously injured I was scared that...it doesn't matter. You're safe and you'll be fine." John leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm happy to have you home."

Kelly's hands moved up to his shoulders and kept him from fully pulling away. "What if I was always home?" John was surprised by the words. He'd never really considered a day when she'd always be home. "John, I'm tired of leaving and coming back to see that Sam has grown up so much. It's like looking at photos but they are all you can remember, not the years in-between." She looked over to the bandage on her arm. "It also feels like I'm risking too much. When it was back during the war we were risking our lives together but now...there's too much at home that wants me to come back."

John wrapped his arms around her waist loosely. "If that's what you feel is best. I'll support you no matter what." John leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Sam came rushing into the room and the two adults broke apart. "I can't believe we forgot." Sam grabbed some paper and climbed up onto the bed on the side opposite John. He held out the paper for his mother. Kelly took it and Sam made himself comfortable against her side. "These are from me and dad."

"How sweet of you." Kelly read the cards. "Thank you, both of you. I think I'm already feeling better. Thank you." Kelly hugged Sam to her side. Sam set his head on his mother's shoulder and closed his eyes, wrapped in the logic warmth of his parent's embrace. John smiled at the sight of his family happy. He reached out and placed a hand on Kelly's knee. She looked toward him and smiled, a content and peaceful smile. Kelly was safe and recovering, and that was what mattered. His family was happy. What more could he ask for?


	199. Shadow Pains

**Pairing: Kathleen/Fred, Kathleen/Shadow Blade**

**Title: Shadow Pains  
**

Kathleen stared out at the Keep, watching as one of the ships fell from the sky. It was good to see that even with only ground weapons the Arbiter's people could defend themselves. Still everything that was happening left a bad taste in her mouth. These rebellious Sangheili were just not acting like Sangheili. She didn't like it at all. Maybe Blade was just so odd for his species that she had the wrong impression. No, she'd met plenty of Sangheili in battle and something like this still seemed to go against all of that experience.

"You look troubled," Blade said as he moved up to join her. "Tell me what bothers you, Love."

Kathleen furrowed her brow. "What did you just call me?"

"Love," Blade answered. "Your soldiers have informed me that it is an expression of friendship to your species. Is there something wrong with the way I say it?"

"Blade, you just called me love," Kathleen said, knowing his translator would translate it correctly. "It means more than friendship."

"I do not see the problem," the Sangheili stated. Kathleen wasn't sure if he was messing with her or not. If he wasn't just messing with her she didn't know what to think of the comment. Blade turned out toward the Keep and the fighting. "Since you arrived here something has been bothering you. Tell me what it is that troubles you."

Kathleen stared at the Sangheili for a moment. "It's not something you'd understand. Even in that armor people recognize you." Blade watched her, waiting for more. "I met an old friend recently and he had no idea who I was." Kathleen removed her helmet and set it on the window sill then leaned forward so her forearms were resting on the window sill.

"Was he blind?" Blade asked. "I am not very good at telling the difference between two humans but I would always recognize you. As I understand it humans are good at telling each other apart. How could someone you knew not recognize you." There was a slightly agitated tone to Blade's words.

"I guess because he hasn't seen me in decades. He didn't know who I was despite how close we used to be. He looked me right in the eye and didn't know who I was." Kathleen turned away from the window and moved across the room, leaning against one of the walls. "It's not something that you'd understand."

"I may understand more then you know. You do not know me that well and I do not know you. You do not have enough knowledge of me to know what I will and will not understand." Blade moved to stand before her. "Tell me, Love."

Kathleen considered hitting him to make him shut up. It wasn't something she really wanted to talk about with anyone and the best way she knew to make things leave her alone was hit them. Then again there was no one else she'd be able to talk to about it so if she didn't talk to Blade about her problems she would never have anyone to talk to. "He and I weren't just friends," Kathleen explained. "We were best friends, teammates, and we loved each other. Have you ever had someone like that?" She wasn't even sure if Sangheili could love.

Blade turned away from her and paced across the room. His shoulders slumped, head hanging a bit, all signs of a sad Sangheili. "Yes, there was someone in my life that fit those categories." Blade turned back to her. "He did not recognize you?"

Kathleen shook her head. "He looked me in the eyes, stood before me, and had no idea who I was." Kathleen's gaze turned to the floor. "I'd rather have been stabbed by a knife." She was fairly certain that the physical pain would be better than the emotions she was feeling now.

Blade was silent for a moment before he reacted. "I do not know that pain. Mine who fits the description is no longer alive so there was never a chance for her to cause me such pain." Blade reached out, almost touching her but stopped. "What action did you take? You took some action to rectify it."

Kathleen shook her head, looking down toward the ground. "No, I didn't do anything. I wanted to hit him, wanted to smack him and demand he remember me, but I couldn't." She was a bit ashamed of that. She should have hit him, should have caused him some pain to make him hurt like her but she'd done nothing.

Blade snapped his mandibles and tensed. "You should have pinned him against a wall." Blade's left hand moved forward and pinned her back against the wall. "You should have threatened his life if he didn't remember you." Blade leaned in and growled, trying to look menacing.

Kathleen wasn't afraid of the Sangheili despite her current position. She smiled slightly and Blade watched her, his features having turned to confused. "You know, that probably would have made him remember me," she admitted. "I thought that he'd just remember me for me but...I was wrong."

"It is hard to predict the stupidity of others," Blade stated. The Sangheili released her but didn't move away. "I understand that there is a common ritual among human friends called a hug. Would that action be appropriate?"

Kathleen paused for a moment, trying to decide what exactly he might have been told or if it would be a good idea. "What did they tell you a hug was?"

"I was told it was a show of trust that involved squeezing. Two of your soldiers demonstrated. It does not seem like too difficult of an action." Blade spread his arms."am I doing it right?"

Kathleen hesitated. She wasn't a fan of physical contact but at the moment she would have given anything to be wrapped in Fred's arms. Not that she'd ever admit that. She also knew the hug would be odd for Blade and she hated to pass up the chance. "Yeah you're doing it right." Kathleen opened her arms and wrapped them around Blade's neck, holding onto him. The Sangheili slowly wrapped his arms carefully around her. He didn't hug too tight, obviously not knowing how tight he could squeeze her. Kathleen let him go and the Sangheili released her.

Blade reached up and absently scratched at the scar on his neck. "That was...odd. We were much to vulnerable. An enemy could have easily killed us. I could have easily killed you or you kill me." The Sangheili fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Well that's a part of it. It's a sign of friendship because you do make yourself vulnerable to the other. It's also a show of affection because when a human is young they are much smaller and their parents but them, protecting you." Kathleen explained. "You don't hug just anyone, only the people you trust."

"So then should we be hugging? Should we not be trying to kill each other?" Blade's mandibles spread just a bit in what Kathleen identified as a smile. It had become a sort of joke between the two if them, their many classes in attempting to kill each other, but that felt so far in the past now. It felt like years since she'd drawn a weapon on Blade with the actual desire to kill him.

"Well we couldn't possibly do it publicly but as is illustrated by the fact that neither of us is bleeding it seems we aren't fighting at the moment. So the conditions are acceptable for a hug." Blade looked to the window as there was a large blast and Kathleen watched him. She could tell he was worried, this was his home, his people, tearing each other apart. It wasn't often that she saw this side of him, the softer side. His worry over the events outside reminded her of Fred and the way he seemed to worry about things far out of his control. "Do your people have a version of a hug?"

Blade turned back to her, looking surprised by the question. He thought for a moment before he answered. "I do not believe so. There is not much physical contact between two of my species unless hey are mating or fighting. Now I get to ask you something." Kathleen nodded, agreeing. "When the human that didn't recognize you failed to recognize you why did you not hit him?"

Kathleen looked away from him, not sure if she could answer that in a way he'd understand. She wasn't even sure if she wanted him knowing the answer. The Sangheili watched her intently and she knew he was expecting an answer. Kathleen considered lying, coming up with some rule or something to reason why she didn't hit Fred but she didn't want to lie to him. "I didn't hit him because I still love him. It hurt for him not to recognize me but I've always loved him, and probably always will. Even if it tears me up every time he looks at me and has no idea who I am."

"You seem upset again. Do you need another hug?" Blade asked, spreading his arms a bit. Kathleen smiled slightly at the offer but shook her head. The Sangheili dropped his arms to his side. "So then, you love this...human?"

"Fred, his name is Fred." Kathleen moved back to the window and picked up her helmet. "Promise you won't tell my soldiers any of this."

Blade huffed. "I took part in a human ritual of vulnerability. Why would I ever speak of this to anyone?" Blade let out a single laugh. "Though if you ever need another hug I am sure we could find a place to be alone."

Kathleen sighed and shook her head. "If only you were a human."

"You keep saying that. I do not understand what you mean. What is wrong with my species?" The Sangheili snapped his mandibles in agitation.

"If you were a human I wouldn't be in pain over Fred." Kathleen smirked as Blade still seemed unaware of what she meant. "There's nothing wrong with your species, it's just that you're not the same as me."

"Then should you not say if only you were a Sangheili?" Blade took the helmet from her hands. "If you were of my species you would have great power. You would be greatly sought after for the genetics, have many males that would be roaring their accomplishments to try to get you to be their wife. Give them strong children."

"Is that how you chose mates?" Kathleen asked. Blade paused for a second and then nodded his head. "That's not why humans mate." Blade moved a bit closer, apparently intrigued by the idea. "Humans chose partners based on an emotional and physical connection. You have to love a person enough that you can stand being with them and have to be physically attracted to them enough that you can get aroused for mating."

Blade just stared at her, thinking over the information. "Your species is odd," he finally said. "Does that have something to do with why I should be a human?"

Kathleen smirked and took her helmet back. "You would make a good looking human." Kathleen slipped on her helmet. "After all, scars are sexy." She moved toward the room's exit. She stopped and turned back to him. "Come on, Screwdriver, lets to take part in one of the two forms of personal contact of your people." Blade stared at her and she sighed. "We're going to spar." She turned and walked out, the Sangheili following her.


	200. Formal

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Formal**

**A/N: This is a very special chapter. Not only is it chapter 200 but more importantly it is my first collaboration chapter. This chapter was inspired by a sketch done by the wonderful artist Greenleafcm. Those of you that follow me on DA know her well, she is the one that does all the pictures I use for my Spartan Love stories and the one that's my avatar here on . I wrote this piece and Leaf added into it and made it even better. I greatly suggest her art as she is amazing but I can't directly link her because won't let you do that. If you want to see all of her awesome art you can go to my profile, go to my DA account, and then any story that has a picture made by her has a link to her profile on it, or you can check my friends list. Just go look at her stuff…after you've read this story so you can leave comments on her page telling her how awesome she is…or write comments to her in the reviews along with your comments about the story and I'll pass them on to her. **

John stood before the mirror, just staring at his reflection. The new dress uniform he'd been provided fit surprisingly well, given the short amount of time he'd been on Earth. All of his service medals and the campaign ribbons he'd earned during the Human-Covenant War had been attached as well. And on the left sleeve a new stripe had been added, to include the time he'd spent in cryo on the _Dawn_ as part of his service. His rank insignia remained unchanged, however. During his initial debriefing he'd been told that the UNSC had given him a "posthumous" promotion, but the patch on the shoulder was still for just a Master Chief Petty Officer. Which was fine with John, he'd become so used to being called Master Chief the idea of being any other rank seemed almost strange to him. Perhaps he would get some answers about his current status within the UNSC from some official tonight - one small advantage of having to go to this ceremony.

Admittedly he hadn't been keeping up much with news since he'd arrived on base. Kelly had been gradually filling him in on all that had transpired since he disappeared; helping him adjust without overwhelming him. He'd been content to just have a few days to collect himself, and John trusted that if anything important required his direct attention, someone would come find him. However, not being informed of this ceremony until the day-of irked him. The events on Requiem, and what had happened when the Didact attacked Earth - it all seemed to have happened too soon for the UNSC to already be having a memorial. He would much prefer to just stay on base with Kelly, not have to be in a room full of High-Command officers and ONI officials. They were not the kind of company that he preferred for a night. Still, a part of the ceremony was supposedly in honor of his return, so he was obligated to go to the dinner to tonight.

There was a noise and the door to the room opened. Though from the lightness of the footsteps, he knew who had just entered. "Would you relax," Kelly placed a hand on his shoulder and John turned toward her. Naturally she'd read his body language like an open book. "I know you don't like ceremonies like this but we have to make an appearance." Kelly brushed her hands over his shoulder and the front of his uniform to smooth out any wrinkles. "Looks like they did all right with the suit on such short notice; I filled them in on the some of the adjustments they'd need to make." She looked up at him and smiled, "I'd almost forgotten how good you look in formal attire."

"You look beautiful." John stated simply, and it was the truth. She was also wearing a new uniform - perfectly cut, and decorated with all her achievements, matching him almost stripe-for-stripe. He was also pleased to see that instead of slacks, she was wearing the alternative. "I see you managed to get a skirt."

He saw her cheeks flush just a bit at his compliment, "You're not the only one who does what it takes to make good on their promises," Kelly said as she looked away, once again busying her hands with straitening his lapels. "Besides, it's a special occasion. Not every day that someone officially comes back from the dead." She looked back to him and reached up, brushing her fingers over his cheek.

John closed his eyes for just a moment and sighed, "I just wish they'd given me more time. We've only had four days together." John reached out and his fingers touched the ribbons on her chest. "I know it's our duty to attend these sorts of events. But after everything that's happened…I'm not even sure I'm ready to be doing things like this." If there was anyone who he could be honest with, it was Kelly.

Kelly shook her head slightly, "Unfortunately, they don't care much about how comfortable soldiers like us are. It's all about appearances. And after New Phoenix, the UNSC is in need of some positive press. So of course they're eager to show humanity that you're alive and well. It's really just propaganda." Kelly smiled softly and set her hand over his. "I know you're still a bit on edge, but our team will all be there. And I'll be right by your side the whole time."

That reminded John of another thing on his mind. "Will they even let us...be public? Or should we be careful?" He'd enjoyed being able to be open about his relationship with Kelly these past few days. He didn't want to hide their relationship anymore, like they'd had to in the past. After all the Spartans had sacrificed, and with the larger threats of the Flood and the Didact defeated, was it really too much to ask? "If this is all about appearances, I don't want to do anything that would cause any objectionable commentary."

"Normally I'd say it would be best to be cautious, but in this case…" Kelly's hands gripped his tie and tightened it up properly, "I'd like to see them try to stop us." She smirked and pulled forward on the material, bringing him closer. Their lips touched and john's hands moved to her waist, surprised by the sudden affection and deceleration of being willing to defy the UNSC. Her free hand moved to the back of his head as she deepened the kiss.

John's hands pulled her body against his, returning the kiss with as much passion as he could. He felt Kelly's hand move over his head and he felt a bit of a thrill as her nails dug in, trying to pull him closer. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder if he could somehow convince her they shouldn't go to the ceremony, and instead get into bed. However, the logical part of his mind kicked in and he worried that she'd think him too needy - so he considered instead just trying to get her to let them be a little late. His hands roamed over her sides as they kissed and he could feel her fingers running through his hair.

Kelly broke the kiss a few moments later and John's mouth instinctively went to her jaw to try to entice her into more intimate contact. But he was gently pushed away before he made much progress. Kelly leaned up, and her lips brushed his ear. "If we stay any longer we'll be late. But if you can to make it through the ceremony, I promise to reward you later." Kelly's hand suddenly released his tie and she was out of his arms in a flash. He turned toward the door of their quarters and she was already hitting the controls.

John simply stood for a moment, feeling the heat that had crept into his face. Turning to the mirror, he quickly smoothed his hair back into place, took a deep breath, and moved after her. At least it was now worth it to him to attend the event, if only to figure out what the reward would be.


	201. Mother

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Mother**

Kelly rolled over, curling up more into the sheets. She was warm and comfortable and she knew that this was going to be the last time for a while that she'd be able to sleep in. She was trying to drift back to sleep but was very aware of the missing warmth from her bed. She opened her eyes and reluctantly sat up, getting out of bed. Maybe she could convince John to call in sick or something and come back to bed with her. She didn't sleep as well without him beside her and she wanted some more sleep.

Kelly moved out into the kitchen and stopped, as she spotted John and Sam. Sam was standing on a chair, holding a bowl and John was standing at the stove. They both looked toward her and an awkward silence filled the air. Kelly moved over to the stove and stood beside John. "All right, what did I miss?"

John looked to Sam and then back to Kelly. "You're supposed to be asleep." John seemed unsettled and Kelly felt like she wasn't very welcome. She had the feeling that he wanted her to go away, or that she didn't quite fit into whatever they were doing. Maybe it was some routine that he and Sam had and they felt odd involving her. Kelly heard the bowl be placed down on the counter and Sam suddenly ran out of the room. Kelly raised an eyebrow. "What is going on?"

"What's happening is that you should be in bed. You sleep in on your last day home, so you should sleep." John just smiled but his attention wasn't fully on her. He turned back to the stove and focused on what he was cooking. Kelly looked down to the pan but he suddenly moved I her way so she couldn't see it. "Stop ruining the surprise. Go back to bed."

Kelly scowled at him. "Fine, don't tell me anything. I was trying to get you to come to bed with me. This is my last day home and I wanted to spend a bit of time cuddling."

"That's not until tonight," John responded. "Now, do as you're ordered, soldier. Go back to bed." John kept his attention on his cooking. Kelly tried moving around him to see what he was doing but John anticipated her movements and stayed in her way. He looked back toward her. "I know what you're thinking about doing. Don't. Sam might see. We've had enough close calls. He doesn't need to see any if that."

Kelly pouted a bit, crossing her arms. "You're being no fun." She turned and moved out of the kitchen, heading back to the bedroom. She considered getting back into bed but decided that she didn't want to. If John wasn't going to join her she didn't see why she should lay about. She decided instead that she should be at least a bit productive and if she wasn't allowed to be part of whatever they were doing she'd do something with a purpose. Kelly changed into some running gear and moved out of the bedroom.

Kelly passed the kitchen and had almost reached the door when John suddenly grabbed her. He lifted her up off the ground. "Where are you going? I told you to go back to bed, not get dressed." John started to carry her down the hallway.

"John, let me go." Kelly pushed against his arms but he was holding too tight. "John I'm going on a run, not back to bed." Kelly tried to squirm out of his arms but he had her tightly clamped to his chest and there was no real wiggle room.

"No, you're going to bed and that's final. You may outrank me in combat but not at home." John carried her into the room and set her down. He shut and locked the door to keep her from getting out. Kelly glared at him put he just frowned back at him. "Kelly what are you doing?"

"I was going for a run. You and Sam can enjoy your cooking thing and I'll get out of your way." Kelly tried to move toward the door but John just moved to stand with his back flat against it. "John, stop it."

"No, you're going back to bed," John asserted. "Why won't you just do what I ask?"

"Ask? You haven't asked me to do anything, just ordered me to do the same thing, the thing I don't want to do." Kelly was starting to get annoyed. She wasn't a child and could do what she wanted to with her time while John was doing whatever he was with Sam.

John's expression turned to confusion. "What are you so mad about? What did I do?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because you broke our tradition of sleeping in on the day I'm scheduled to leave. Or maybe it's because you and Sam refuse to include me in your activities. If I can't be part of it I should at least be allowed to do my own thing." Kelly crossed her arms and looked away from him. "It's just...sometimes I feel out of place here. You and Sam have a these rituals and I just don't fit in them. I feel like a third wheel or a square block trying to get into a round hole."

John's features softened. "Kelly." He moved away from the door and she let him wrap her in his arms. "I'm sorry. We haven't really tried to incorporate you into the things we usually do. I had no idea you felt that way, though. You should have said something." He placed a kiss I her head. "I promise you what Sam and I are doing does involve you, but it involves you being in bed. So, please, will you get back into bed?"

Kelly sighed and relaxed into his arms. "Thank you for asking." She let him guide her over to the bed and sat down when he pulled the covers back for her. He pushed her back onto the bed and climbed up with her. Their lips met and Kelly was surprised by the sudden force and passion of his kiss and movements.

When he pulled away he smirked. "Consider that a preview for later tonight." His hands moved over her bare skin and she realized he'd removed her clothing without her noticing.

"How did you do that?" Kelly was a bit annoyed at herself for not having noticed but mainly just impressed that John had pulled it off so easily.

"I'm the best," John answered. "Now make yourself warm under those blankets. I'm going to get you something to cover yourself." John moved away and Kelly settled under the covers. He returned with one of his shirts and a pair of underwear. She got dressed quickly and would just hope that it was fine. She still had no idea what was going on but she was doing what John instructed, for now.

John sat down on the bed beside her and leaned down so he could wrap his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry I broke our tradition." He kissed along her jaw. "I promise to make it up to you tonight, all right?"

Kelly's hand absently ran over his hair, enjoying the contact. "All right." John set his head on her shoulder and pulled himself closer to her. Kelly wrapped her arms around him loosely and relaxed, basking in the warmth. At some point she drifted off, but she couldn't remember when. She was awoke by John's kiss, by far her preferred way to wake up.

Her eyes opened to find John still hovering over her, smiling. "Happy Mother's Day, Bunny." He kissed her one last time before pulling away. She could now see that Sam was sitting on the bed as well, grinning, with something behind his back. There was also a sort if small table on the bed that had three plates stacked with pancakes. "I told you it had to do with you."

"Happy Mother's Day, Mom." Sam moved forward and hugged Kelly as tight as his little arms could manage. Kelly hugged him back. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you to, Sammy." Sam released her and Kelly ruffled his hair. "But you do know that Mother's Day isn't until next week, right?"

"Yeah, but you're going away today. You won't be here for the actual day. I want to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom." Sam seemed to remember that he was holding something. "Oh, this is for you." He held out the stuffed animal and beamed proudly. It was a stuffed rabbit dressed in military fatigues. "When Mary and I went to the teddy bear store I saw it and knew I wanted to make it for you. Dad always calls you bunny so I made a stuffed animal version of you."

"Sammy, that's so sweet." Kelly took the rabbit and hugged her son again. "I love it."

"We also made breakfast for you." Sam motioned toward the food.

"We thought it would be nice if we ate breakfast in bed." John slid under the covers with her and made himself comfortable at her side. Kelly leaned against him and Sam moved to the other side of the small table.

Kelly watched as Sam started to spread butter over the pancakes on his plate. She looked to John who was also watching their son. Kelly put her arm around her husband and tucked her hand into the waist of his pants. John turned toward her and then turned toward the food. He cut off a piece of one of the pancakes and stabbed it with a fork. He held it up for her and she took the offering, aware that he was just trying to be sweet.

They are breakfast, Sam telling Kelly all about how he and John had planned everything. When they finished John took Sam out to clean up the dishes. Kelly got dressed and when she moved into the kitchen she was surprised to find only John. He looked toward her and frowned. "You weren't supposed to get dressed."

Kelly frowned at him. "I've already had breakfast. Where is Sam?"

"Sam went to the park for his little league gravball practice." John moved over to her and his hands moved to her waist, pulling her toward him. His arms went around her waist as his lips touched hers. Kelly's arms wrapped around his neck. "You weren't supposed to get out of bed," he said, following it with a playful kiss. "I guess I'll just have to strip you again so I can give you _my_ mother's Day gift." Kelly smirked and let him lead her back to the bedroom.


	202. Dilemma

**Title: Dilemma**

**Pairing: John/Kelly, a little Fred/Kathleen.**

John ran a hand over his hair, slouching where he sat on the locker room bench. It felt a bit good to be out of his armor, to be alone fully in his head. He knew that Cortana wasn't ever really in his head but the way she talked it felt like she was. His hand moved down to his neural implant and he absently massaged the area. His body was tired and he hasn't really gotten much sleep, the strain of the Halo and First Strike starting to catch up with him. They'd removed his Mark V armor and he'd gotten a bit of sleep but it wasn't as much as he needed.

John closed his eyes and tried to remember the dream he'd had. He could still see the love in her eyes and her smiling face from where she'd been lying on his chest but he couldn't bring back the memories of her touch or the affection in her kiss. He almost wanted to go back to sleep, try to recapture it, but he had things to do. He didn't have the luxury to sleep longer. He had to go to the armory, get his new armor, and then he was supposed to be given some metal.

"Did you get any sleep?" Fred asked as he moved into the locker room. John simply nodded to answer, slightly annoyed as he lost his grip on what little of the dream he remembered. "It will be good to go down to the planet. It's been a while since we've been on solid ground." Fred paused for a moment. "Well, not that long. I guess it's just felt like a long time since Reach. Had to believe it's been so short a time."

"It does feel longer. It's most likely because we haven't gotten a lot of sleep. Makes it feel longer." John fought the desire to massage his shoulder, not wanting to show his fatigue in front of Fred. "I'll meet up with the rest of the team after the Admiral finishes awarding me whatever metal it is he's decided on."

Fred frowned and sat down on the bench a bit away from John. "I wanted to talk to you about that. I don't think that we should split up the team. We can stay here on the station until you finish. I just...I have a bad feeling." Fred wouldn't look up to meet John's gaze. He was instead looking at everything that wasn't John.

"The Covenant is still on its way, we only slowed it down," John admitted. "There should be plenty of time for the Admiral to get his private meeting and meet back up with the team with plenty of time." John was fairly sure that the Admiral really just wanted a in-person report from him on the Halo and Reach. There was only so much someone could put in a report and the Admiral might have questions. John didn't expect it to take long and the Covenant had been delayed by First Strike so he estimated that they'd have enough time.

"I'm not so sure," Fred said, finally turning to look at John. "Something in my gut tells me that a threat is very close. Like we're running out of time."

"You're just nervous," John stated. "I shouldn't have put so much pressure on you to lead the Spartans on Reach. You did a good job but I know it's hard when people die under your command."

Fred's gaze turned down toward the floor in shame. "It's not like one or two Spartans died. There were so many of us and now there's only four." Fred closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "Five," he corrected himself. "I screwed up so much on that mission. If it weren't for Kelly I would have fallen apart. I don't know how you managed without her."

John was glad Fred wasn't looking at him at that moment. It allowed him the freedom to tense at the mention of Kelly. He was able to get himself under control before Fred noticed. It wouldn't inspire confidence in Fred if John was unsettled by talking about Kelly. "I made a promise," he said, standing up and opening his locker. He started to strip, feeling like he needed to wash up before getting into his new suit. Maybe a little water would be able to wash away his concern.

Fred stood as well and followed suit. John ignored him for the moment. Maybe Fred just wanted to take a shower or maybe in the wake of Reach he just wanted to follow someone else's lead. "So what are we going to do?"

John shut his locker and moved toward the showers. "Blue Team will head down to the planet and I'll join them after the Admiral finishes whatever he has planned." John moved to one of shower heads and turned on the water. He let the warm liquid run over him, just letting it calm his mind.

Fred stood under the flow of a shower head beside John. "That's not what I was asking about," he said as he grabbed the soap and started to wash up. "I was asking what we were going to do about Kelly."

John tensed and was a bit unhappy that his relaxing shower was no longer possible. If there was one Spartan who would latch onto helping another Spartan it was Fred. "What about her?" John could feel Fred watching him as he started to wash himself, trying to brush over the conversation. He wasn't able to let himself think about the female Spartan right now. The Covenant were coming and he had to stay focused.

"You can actually expect me to believe that you don't think we should get her back," Fred said as he scrubbed at his arm. "I'm asking what are we going to do to get her back. We can't just abandon her." John bristled at the word 'abandon'. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to protect Earth. The Covenant is heading here and we have to protect the planet. Not to mention with the Covenant here wherever she is she's safer there." John couldn't bring himself to call Kelly by name. That would risk opening emotions attached to the female Spartan which he couldn't allow.

Fred frowned and studied John, as though he'd be able to read his friend's thoughts. "What if Doctor Halsey took her to something like the Halo you went to?" John turned his gaze to the wall, trying to ignore what Fred was saying. "She was injured the last time we saw her and Halsey is with her. She'll focus on protecting the doctor so things won't turn out well if she meets any hostile forces." John closed his eyes, trying to block out the emotions that were trying to rise up as Fred spoke. "There were no weapons on that ship and they didn't take any. I know Kelly can take care of herself but with a civilian to take care of it will be a problem. Even more if they've gone to anything forerunner structure and finds that Flood parasite that you talked about." John couldn't stop the fear that burst up at the idea of Kelly fighting the Flood. "How would you even fight the Flood without a weapon?"

"Stop," John said quietly, trying hard to get his fear under control but memories of the Flood were breaking through and mixing with thoughts of Kelly fighting off the Flood with her fists. He felt a panic rising up in him and he felt like he needed to find a way to get to her, help her. Under it all he knew he couldn't do that. He had to stay and lead the Spartans when the Covenant arrived.

"Can you kill any form of the Flood with your hands? Maybe there's some sir of weapon she can use to fight it. If she doesn't I don't know how she'll manage," Fred said absently as he scrubbed himself.

"Stop!" John was surprised by the anger in his own voice. He looked to Fred, allowing the anger to show on his face to cover the fear that was under it. He could see that Fred was just as surprised by John's anger. John took a deep breath and released the broken Bar of soap from his hand. He took a few more breaths to calm himself down, a bit embarrassed at how his emotions had come out like that. While most people would be embarrassed by standing naked in the center of the commons area that wouldn't embarrass a Spartan. Spartans were only ever embarrassed by things like public shows of emotion or emotional outbursts. John had never before let his emotions get the better of him, except with Kelly, but that hadn't been anger.

Fred held out his bar of soap to John. "Sorry, I wasn't really thinking. I know you're worried about her and I'm not helping."

John took the offered soap. "You don't know what you're talking about, what you were suggesting. The Flood...it's not like fighting the Covenant or rebels. Without a weapon even a Spartan wouldn't stand a chance. If you get too close it will consume you and there would be no way to stop it." John started to scrub his body and turned his attention to the wall before him.

"Well you said the Flood you met for the most part was made of human and Covenant that were consumed. Without any of that maybe Kelly could hold her own, even with someone to protect. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Fred's words only made things worse. In response to John's embarrassing emotional outburst Fred was treating him with pity which was only more embarrassing. He knew Fred was just the kind of guy that sympathized and didn't mean to make it worse. "It doesn't matter, the Covenant is on its way to Earth. We have to defend the planet, that's our duty and we can't let anything get in the way of that duty. Not even an emotional connection." John put the soap away and let the quarter rinse him clean. "Besides, we can't follow her anyway. We have no way of knowing where Doctor Halsey took her and we can't just search the galaxy."

"I know our duty," Fred countered. "But you can't tell me that if we got a signal from Kelly, saying where she was and that she needed help, that you wouldn't go and try to help her if the Covenant hasn't arrived yet."

John considered the scenario. There were a lot of variables left out and he didn't like it, still he couldn't deny how he wanted to answer. "My instinct is to say yes," John admitted. "But we don't make choices based on instinct. Earth needs to be protected and if it isn't then there would be nothing to come home to even if I found and saved her. My preferred course of action wold be to squire a small craft that I could take to where she was and leave you, Will, and Linda to protect Earth. You're fully capable of protecting the planet long enough for us to get back and assist you." Maybe it was a lie, maybe he was putting too much hope on Blue Team's skills but a part if him wanted to believe it.

"No, I could go get her. I can't lead Blue Team, not after how many I got killed on Reach." Fred shut off his shower. "We wouldn't be able to afford me getting Will and Linda killed."

John shut his own shower off. "You got anyone off a glassed planet alive, Fred. You did fine. Besides, you'd never allow me to go help Kathleen in your stead." John knew that Fred would understand what he meant. He saw the slight frown on Fred's face and realized his misstep. "I didn't mean-"

Fred shook his head. "No, you're right. I'd want to go to her myself." John was a bit surprised by how neutral Fred was able to keep his features as he spoke. "It doesn't matter anyway, we don't know where Kelly is and we may never find out." John felt the sting of the words but didn't fight back. He had hurt his friend and Fred had returned the pain. Fred moved out of the shower and John stood alone for a moment.

Although Fred had said the words to hurt John the other man was right. They had no signal from Kelly and likely they wouldn't. John closed his eyes and tried to fight off the thought that he'd never see Kelly again. He didn't like the emotions that were rising up and didn't know how to stop it. The emotions rose up threatening to swallow him and he didn't know how to fight it. He'd been taught to push aside fear but not this combination of fear and sorrow that was rising up.

John was pulled out of his head as a towel brushed his arm. He looked over to see Fred offering him a towel. John took it, knowing that this wasn't so much an indication of pity but understanding. John wondered if what he was feeling was the same as Fred had when he'd woken after the augmentations and Kathleen hadn't been there, and all the time they spent waiting to know who had died and who hadn't. John allowed himself a moment of apprehensive fear over when he did find out if he'd ever see Kelly again.

"Come on, let's get moving. You've got a new set of armor to put on and an admiral waiting." Fred started to dry himself as he moved back to the lockers.

John started to dry his body as he followed. "Will will likely be in the barracks." Fred stopped for just a fraction of a second before continuing to move. John knew that when he left Fred would look for Will, seeking the presence of his friend and the one person still alive that could talk to him about Kathleen. John finished drying off and changed clothing in silence with Fred.

"To be fair," Fred said, breaking the silence. "You can't beat the augmentations by fighting it. Since when has Kelly lost?" Fred smiled just a little bit. "I always felt like she inherited bed your refusal to lose." Fred shut his locker and moved out of the room.

John stood in the silent for a moment before leaving the locker room as well to head to the armory and get suited up in his new armor.


	203. Augmented

**Title: Augmented**

**Pairing: Tom Lasky/Sarah Palmer**

Palmer stared out the window of the apartment, staring down at the street below. She'd never realized how much damage there had been done to the street, or maybe she'd never been able to see it before. It was odd to see the world this way, so much clearer and detailed. The sun seemed so bright and she could see the birds clearly as if they were only feet away even though they were fluttering around half way down the street. When she'd woken after the augmentations she remembered staring up at the ceiling and being able to see everything so clearly. Even things as simple as a leaf looked so different to her now. It was like seeing a whole new world and she didn't know how much she liked it. She was sure she'd eventually get used to it but for now it annoyed her.

She turned away from the window and examined the room around her. Like the world outside this place felt different, and she hated it. This was her home, she should feel at ease, but it felt like she wasn't even in her own room. The walls that she'd once seen as just white were now clearly tinted with just a bit of blue. She could see the woven fibers that made up the sheets of the queen size bed. She moved over and her hand gently touched the sheets. They felt the same as always so at least she didn't have to worry about that but it was odd to see it look like it should be rough but be soft under her touch. She made a note to see if she could find something that looked softer.

Sarah moved across the room to the mirror and looked at her own reflection. She frowned at the woman staring back at her. She felt like she looked years older than she was, the fatigue of the war having left signs she hadn't been able to see before the augmentations. There were wrinkles on the corners of her eyes and her skin looked dull to her. She reached up and felt her cheek but it just felt like skin. She sighed and turned away from the tired, sad woman in the mirror. She moved over to the bed again and sat down, looking over the room.

_"You'll get used to it eventually," the medic said as he checked Sarah's eyes. "Eventually you won't remember what it was like not to see the world clearly." The man switched off his light and nodded. "Everything looks good, just tell us if anything odd happens with your vision or if they start bleeding at night and don't stop." _

Sarah had been annoyed by the man's words. It wasn't like he had to live with seeing the world like this. He didn't have to deal with seeing every movement or with the sudden increase in strength that caused them to break things and risked hurting people on accident. He didn't have to go home and worry that the first time he touched his lover he'd cause them pain. Sarah let out a long breath and lay back on the bed. She shut her eyes and just focused on how the sheets under her still felt comfortable. If she didn't look she felt like she was at home, the way it was before the augmentations.

_"The UNSC is now your family," the Admiral said as he paced before the recently augmented soldiers. "You are now Spartans, one with the UNSC. Even when you leave service you will still be a part if the UNSC." The Admiral looked them all over as though inspecting cattle, preparing for slaughter. "You may have a shelter off base but the barracks or she ship you are stationed on will become your home. The Spartans beside you are your siblings." _

Sarah didn't really buy into any of that. The UNSC had spent a lot of their recovery beating loyalty into their heads, reminding them that they'd never really get away from the UNSC ever again. A few of the others had even suggested that they were training them to be unquestioningly loyal in their sleep. Sarah wasn't sure if she really believed that but she didn't think she felt more loyal to the UNSC than before. She knew where her loyalties lay and she still had her suspicions of ONI. It was possible what they had done just hadn't worked on her but she didn't really have any proof they'd done anything. That didn't mean they hadn't done anything, just that she couldn't prove it.

Sarah heard the steps moving calmly down the hallway outside the apartment. She listened as the steps stopped and could clearly hear the key slide into the lock. From how loud it was she knew it was the door to her apartment and she couldn't help the moment of fear that sparked adrenaline in her system. The key turned in the lock but there was no sound of the tumblers as the door was already unlocked. The person paused for an unusually long time before opening the door. Sarah realized it hadn't been that long, rather things seemed to be moving slowly to her adrenaline heightened system. Sarah sat up and opened her eyes, staring across the room to the doorway. She could hear the person move around the living room and into the small kitchen of the apartment.

Sarah took deep breaths, unable to suppress the nervous fear that was crawling up through her. She hadn't expected to be nervous. Hesitant, yes, but nervous was a surprise. The steps moved from the kitchen and grew closer and closer to the bedroom. Sarah kept herself rooted in place, the fear and nervousness fighting inside her for dominance. Sarah watched as the door opened painfully slowly as the person entered.

Sarah watched as he entered the room and could see each little show of his emotions in slow motion. He entered, his face covered in signs of his own hesitation. There was a downturn to his mouth, a scared look in his eyes, but his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as though preparing himself for bad news. She watched as he saw her and took in the sight, searching for anything that might be wrong. When he found nothing wrong she watched as his features changed. His mouth turned up as he started to smile, his brow relaxed, and a light of relief spread through his gaze. Sarah watched him as he moved across the room, noting the energy that there was in his steps as he crossed the room.

He stopped a few feet away and Sarah watched him for any signs of his thoughts. She had never realized how expressive his face was. The way his eyebrows moved, his eyes widening or narrowing, and the little movements of his mouth all gave Sarah a new set of signal she'd need to learn. His face was also younger than she had expected. Unlike her own that looked older with her new sight he seemed so young for his age. Dispute everything he'd been through he somehow still looked hopeful. It was a trait that Sarah had lost some time ago, accepting that things were only going to get worse over time.

He sat down on the bed beside her and Sarah just watched as his eyes darted over her for a few seconds before his gaze met hers. They sat in silence, Sarah not willing to speak first. She found herself hating the lower tones of her voice and even though she knew he wouldn't hear a difference in her voice she still felt awkward about speaking. His hand rose and she felt him touch her cheek. He frowned a bit and signs of confusion settled on his features. He scanned her face and frowned. "Did the augmentations take?" Sarah was fascinated to find that his voice seemed to be the perfect blend of deep male and higher tones that made him seem none threatening.

Sarah frowned as well, not understanding the question. Why would he think that she hadn't been augmented? "Yes," she answered. She flinched a bit at hearing her own voice but he showed no sign of noticing it. "Why is something wrong?"

Tom shook his head. "No, you just...you don't look and different." His hand dropped from her cheek. "I just can't see a difference. You're still the same Sarah. Unless whatever's changed is just under your clothing." His hand moved to her knee and she watched a smile slip easily onto his features. Dispute the smile she could tell something was wrong. Not only in the fact that he was propositioning her so quickly but also the slight drop of his eyelids and the fact that his smile didn't seem to stretch all the way.

"Why are you using sex to divert me from noticing your nervous?" She scowled at him and the look of surprise he tried to hide behind a smile. "Why are you worried at all?"

Tom looked away from her and toward the carpet. Realizing that he wasn't fooling her he let the smile slip more from his face. "Half the first class of Spartans died when they were augmented." Sarah tensed at the mention of the Spartan II. After their augmentations the new Spartan IV had been given a lesson on the history of the Spartan II.

_The Lieutenant stood at the front of the room, looking over the assembled Spartans. The section three patch on his shoulder made Sarah weary of exactly what he was going to be telling them. ONI never brought good news in her experience. "Today, Spartans, today we'll be learning about the Spartan II program." The man looked them over, watching their reactions._

_"The Spartan II and III program are admirably dark marks on the history of the UNSC. The Spartan II project was conceived and directed by Doctor Catherine Halsey. The project consisted of kidnapping six-year-old children and training them to become soldiers with a harsh training regimen. When the soldiers were fourteen Doctor Halsey pushed the augmentations forward. The proper research hadn't been done and the augmentations were not as safe as the ones that you have gone through. Half the Spartan IIs died due to complications from the augmentations." _

_The man turned his attention to the basic prototype armor that the Spartan IV would wear. "Their training was expensive, their armor expensive, and they were not invincible. By the end of the war there were only three left alive, contrary to the public policy of listing them as missing. Still we needed more Spartans, which caused the Spartan III project to be started. This housed a wider variety of children, all from glassed colonies who volunteered for revenge or whatever personal reason. Their augmentations were less risky, no casualties, and are what your augmentations were built off of. Sadly following in the legacy of the Spartan II project the Spartan III were put through hard training and due to dwindling funds their armor was not nearly as good. They were used for hard missions, suicidal missions, but some of you are already familiar with those." Sarah knew he was talking to the ODSTs turned Spartans. They'd all been on suicide missions at some point. "Today there are only five Spartan III alive, even though there were hundreds." That was news that surprised Sarah. There had been hundreds if these children taken and only five were alive? _

_"The UNSC is now reforming the Spartan program. That is where you all come in. Those responsible have been brought to justice except for its mastermind. Doctor Halsey died on Reach and never saw a court to pay for her crimes." The man relaxed and smiled. "You are how the project always should have been. Voluntary adults, safe procedures, and proper training. I congratulate you all on becoming the Spartans that always should have been." _

_The man left the room but Sarah hadn't moved. She was still thinking of those two figures, floating in the tanks. She could seed the dark liquid being mixed in as the toxin was released, knowing that she had killed them. She wondered if she'd let them live if they would have been counted as living Spartans or had they already been dead._

Hands cupped Sarah's cheeks and Tom leaned in. "Sarah, are you all right?" She could see the concern on his face, a sort of fear she'd never seen from him before, even when she was injured in combat.

Sarah frowned at him. "Tom, I only spaced out. Calm down." She pulled back enough so that he dropped his hands. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Sorry," Tom said, placing his hand again on her leg. "I don't know much about these augmentations and I can't help but worry about you." Sarah relaxed, understanding that he really couldn't help it. Tom was a gentle and loving man so he was empathetic and was not very good at hiding his concern. She waited for him to make a move, kiss her, but her, or even just shake her hand but he didn't do any of those. She wanted some sort of contact but her fear of harming him kept her hands folded on her lap. Tom stood up and she felt a disappointment as she realized he wasn't going to do anything. She almost wished she hadn't pointed out his earlier worry if only for the physical contact.

Tom stopped at the doorway and looked back at her. She could see the nervous look on his face for a second before he tried to hide it. "I'm going to make dinner." He moved out of the room and left Sarah in silence. She didn't know quite what to make of what had just happened. With how worried he had been it was odd for him to not show any direct sign of affection. It was odd for his most intimate touch when he was worried to be a hand on her leg.

Sarah stood from the bed and moved out into the living room. Tom was in the kitchen and fully focused on his cooking so Sarah moved to the couch and sat down. She switched on the news and watched the latest report about the rebuilding effort and some reports of military plans. Sarah wasn't really listening to any of it.

_The woman sitting across from Sarah left her feeling like there was a monster hiding in the shadows behind her, waiting to devour her. At that moment Sarah would have given anything to be somewhere else. This was the head of ONI, powerful and ruthless, if the rumors were true. It was said she was hand-picked by the woman before her so Sarah didn't expect her to be any better of a person than the last head of ONI, and Sarah knew all about what that woman was willing to do. There was something in this woman's eyes that hinted she was just as inhuman as her predecessor. This was Serin Osman, and Sarah could tell by looking at her that she was the last woman a person wanted to cross. Most likely if you crossed her it would be the last thing you did._

_Osman looked up from the data she was reading and focused on Sarah. "You have a fine record, Lieutenant Palmer." Sarah didn't know how to reply to that so she remained silent. "Well if you're anything like the ODST I've known I'll just skip beating around the bush. I'm in need of a skilled, *loyal* soldier, and I think you're my best option." _

_Sarah frowned, not understanding what the woman meant. She didn't like the emphases on the word 'loyal' and it left Sarah's skin crawling. When ONI wanted loyalty they meant blind obedience. It wasn't really something Sarah did well but she was able to keep her mouth shut when told to do so. _

_"The Spartan IV program is not just a program." Sarah didn't quite understand what she meant. She hadn't been told anything about the program being more. "You are aware if the ship, _Infinity_? Your partner is stationed on that ship, is he not?" _

_"Yes, ma'am," Sarah answered. Tom had told her about the ship he'd been recently stationed on. He told her that it was like a moving colony it could fit so many people. To Sarah it seemed excessive but Tom was happy to be first officer so she kept her opinion to herself. _

_"Soon the Spartan IV numbers will grow much larger as the first groups have all survived perfectly. The UNSC has decided to make a new branch of the military, a Spartan branch." Sarah was surprised by this news. It felt odd that ONI would let their project be its own branch, unless they hadn't had a choice or it was some bigger plan. "Of course we are filling the administrative roles but it means that were going to need people to command the troops." _

_Sarah was getting a picture and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Osman seemed to be proposing that Sarah lead a team, most likely to do the nasty work of ONI. Sarah was absolutely opposed to being ONI's obedient dog but at the same time she could see positives to such a position. It would be likely that what was ONI's current messes that needed to be cleaned up would be scientists and Sarah couldn't say she didn't feel like every ONI scientist deserved to die and that she wanted to be in charge of killing them. She'd seen enough of the awful things they'd done and knew they should be brought to justice, even if that was a bullet. At least that way they couldn't hurt anyone else._

_Osman continued. "Our plan is to station most of the Spartan IV onto the _Infinity_." Sarah tried to comprehend that prospect. She'd never before been stationed on the same ship as Tom. She liked the thought of being able to be with him in person while they were deployed. "Though perhaps you would do better on one of our smaller and more specialized ships."_

_So that was the game that Osman was playing. She dangled the chance to be on the same ship as her lover and then threatened to put her on a different ship. Sarah only wondered what the woman wanted in return for being placed on _Infinity_. "I believe I'd be more comfortable aboard _Infinity_." Sarah made sure she sat up straight and tried to keep emotion from her voice. She didn't want to give Osman ammunition to hit her with if they were going to negotiate._

_"Of course you would. You've done enough work for ONI to know the kind of work a specialized ship does." Osman relaxed and Sarah knew that the woman had somehow gotten her to walk right onto the big red X. Now Sarah could only wait for Osman to bring the hammer down. "Though I wouldn't want to waste you on a specialized ship either. No, I need you on _Infinity_."_

_Sarah considered what she might mean by that. Did she want her to be a spy on board _Infinity_? She didn't think she'd be good at that. Sarah had always been blunt and sneaking around didn't suit her. She could keep secrets but there was a big difference from having your own. Sarah didn't like having secrets that were her own, particularly because she knew she couldn't keep them from Tom. _

_"If you can assure me that you are loyal I have a position I think you would be best to full," Osman said._

_"Have I done something to have my loyalty questioned?" Sarah asked. She wasn't sure what she might be asked to do to prove her loyalty. _

_"Nothing, Lieutenant. You've kept every little secret that ONI has trusted you with. In fact I'm fairly sure that if I asked you about Darkmont facility you wouldn't even tell me about it."_

_"I don't know of a facility called that," Sarah lied. She was fairly good at lying to those she didn't know. _

_"Of course you don't," Osman said with a slight smile. "Then I'd like to make an offer. The Spartan IV will be stationed on _Infinity_, a lot of them, and they'll need organizing, people to make sure there is order. I would like to give you this job."_

_"I'm not sure I understand, ma'am." Sarah furrowed her brow, trying to understand exactly what the woman meant. Did she want her to decide on people to organize the Spartan IV? She was sure she wasn't the right person for that task._

_"Fine, I'll state it more plainly, though I expected you would be smart enough to understand without it having to be expanded. I want to place you in command of all Spartans IV onboard _Infinity_," Osman explained._

_The prospect stunned Sarah, not sure what to say in response. She'd never been offered such an important position, having only ever led a squad. There was no telling what good this would do for her career as a soldier and she'd always wanted a chance like this. Not to mention it would give her a place in the important command structure and as long as her gender didn't get her ignored she'd be able to have a say. It meant being able to assert an experienced soldiers view in orders, and allow her to back up Tom if she had to. Still, this was ONI so there had to be a catch. "I'm not an idiot. What do you want in return?"_

_Osman smiled and it actually looked genuine. "Yes, you have had enough contact with us." She stood up and picked up her data pad. "I already told you what I want. I want loyalty. How about you go home and think about it. You can give me your answer tomorrow." Osman moved out of the room and Palmer was left in the room with her thoughts. _

"Sarah!" Tom shouted, causing Sarah to look toward him. There was a look of fear mixed with relief on his face and she realized his hand was on her shoulder. "Don't do that," he scolded. "You scared me. I thought something was wrong, you weren't responding."

Sarah frowned, feeling a bit guilty for making him worry. "I just spaced out, no big deal. I've got a lot on my mind." Sarah tried to brush it off so he would let it go. She didn't want to talk about it and it was purely her choice to make. She loved Tom but his opinion didn't come into play as he wouldn't be the one beholden to ONI. In fact she was fairly sure he'd never experienced any of the horror or vengeance of ONI. It was an ugly truth she'd rather keep from him.

The questioning look in Tom's eyes made it clear he wanted to ask what she was thinking about but knew better. "Well I finished dinner," he informed her. "You're still hungry aren't you?"

Sarah nodded and stood up from the couch. She shut off the television and followed Tom to the dining room. She took her seat at the table and looked down at the food. She was surprised as she looked down at her meal. "You made my favorite dish?" She looked over the chicken and cheese rice that was on her plate with a side of green beans.

Sarah looked across the table to Tom who was smiling as he set his napkin on his lap. It was a gentle smile that was just a bit higher on the left than the right, his eyes focused fully on her and holding a hint of triumph. "Welcome home," he said as he picked up his fork and started to eat. Sarah simply smiled and picked up her own fork. They had been eating for a while before Tom spoke up again. "So...what's it like being augmented?"

Sarah wasn't' exactly sure how to answer that. It wasn't really something you could put in words too well. "It's completely different," she finally said. "The world looks different, a lot more detailed. My body moves faster than it used to so we spent some time learning how to move. Had to learn how to not touch things or hold them with too much force." She looked down to the food still on her plate. "You know they talk about the increased strength, reactions, and senses as though they're a high point of the augmentations. They don't at all tell you about how everything that's familiar looks foreign, the fact that you have to constantly be watching how fast you move. They never tell you how dangerous your strength is and that you have to be careful not to hurt the people that you care about on accident."

"Well I'm sure they aren't done teaching you how to adapt. I bet they'll have you guys training for some time. Should at least keep you busy while I'm away." Sarah looked up from her food and narrowed her gaze. Tom's gaze looked down to his food and she could see that he was trying to avoid looking at her. "Well _Infinity_ is apparently getting a bunch of new soldiers and they want all staff stationed on board and staying on board. I think they're going to do some tests of the engines and slip space abilities." He stabbed a bit at what chicken was left on his plate. "I know that we really didn't get a chance but at least we have tonight." His voice was quiet and hesitant, regretful.

Sarah turned back to her food and started eating again. "Don't worry about it, Tom. We'll both be busy." She kept her eyes on her food to be sure that she didn't give him any hint that she was thinking. She'd made up her mind, even if it meant being in debit to ONI she didn't want to be away from Tom any more. After years of having been assigned to separate ships she couldn't pass up the chance to be on the same ship as him.

They finished their meal in an uneasy silence. She knew that he was still feeling bad about them being separated and Sarah was still thinking about what ONI would expect from her. When they finished Sarah moved to take her plate to the sink but Tom stopped her. He stood up and took her hand in his. "Tom?" She watched him as he tugged slightly on her hand and she stood up.

"The dishes can wait," he said as he moved a bit closer to her, his hand releasing hers and moving to her side. "For now, let's just enjoy tonight." His brought their lips together and Sarah hesitated, more afraid that if she returned it she'd use too much force and hurt him. Tom pulled back and looked at her, confused. "Is something wrong?"

Sarah reached out and set her hand on Tom's chest. "I don't want to hurt you," she admitted. "Tom, I could kill you on accident."

Tom smiled and kissed her once more. "I'm not worried about that." Sarah tried to object but Tom stopped her. "I know you'd never hurt me, Sarah. You should have more faith in yourself." He took a step back and took her hand once more. "We'll make it work, somehow." He led her toward the bedroom and Sarah followed him. Something in the way he said it made her confident that somehow they would figure it out.


	204. Sleepover

**Pairing: John/Kelly AU**

**Title: Sleepover**

John stared up at the stars in the clear night sky, searching for any constellations that he could point out. He had already pointed out all the ones he could see he'd already pointed out. He turned his head to the side and looked at the woman beside him in the grass. "I don't see any more," he conceded.

Kelly turned toward him and grinned in the darkness. "Then I guess that means I win. I get to choose a movie to go see next Friday." Kelly looked back to the sky. For a while it had been their habit to make a competition out of almost everything. They usually made bets but it was small things like deciding the next date. "I think we actually named all the ones that are out right now."

"I think you're right, or we need to pay more attention to astronomy." John sat up and leaned over on one arm so he was partially over Kelly. "Congratulations on winning." He placed his other hand in the ground on her other side and leaned down. Their lips touched for only a second but it still sent a warmth through John's body.

"I swear you will come up with any excuse to get a kiss," Kelly teased. Her hands moved up his chest to his shoulders.

"Are you complaining?" John asked. Kelly shook her head and John smirked. "Didn't think so." He scooted closer to her in the grass so he didn't have to hold himself up. He leaned over and their lips touched again. He deepened the kiss, and Kelly's arms moved around his neck. John's hand had just moved under Kelly's shirt when a beeping sound cut through the night air. John muttered a curse and sat up. He hit the alarm on his watch and sighed. "We need to head home or we'll end up late."

Kelly sighed and John knew she was annoyed by his curfew. Unlike John she didn't have a time that she had to be home by. John stood up and held a hand out for her and she took it. He helped her up and they walked across the field, back to the parking lot, and John's car. They got in and John drove her home. When they stopped in front of her house she didn't move. John heard her curse and her shoulders slumped.

John reached over and took her hand in his. "Is everything okay?" She'd never done this when taking her home.

"Kathleen isn't in town this week so I can't stay with her tonight." Kelly looked toward her house and sighed. John watched her for a second and then shifted his car into drive and pulled away from the home. Kelly looked at him surprised as he drove away from her house. "What are you doing?"

"Something that's going to get me in trouble," John answered. "We have a spare room that you can stay in tonight." John focused on the road as he made his way to his house.

"Thank you, John. I don't...thank you." Kelly reached over and her hand settled on his. "This means a lot to me. I don't want to go home as long as he's there."

"I know maybe at some point you'll tell me who he is but until then the least I can do it provide you a place to stay." John pulled onto his street. He stopped in his driveway and they got out of the car.

"Will you really get in trouble?" Kelly asked. "I don't want to be trouble for you or your family." Kelly took his hand again, whether out of habit or something else he wasn't sure. He wasn't about to complain about it.

John led her up the stone path to his front door. "They'll be mad but I can reason with my dad and everything will be fine." John squeezed her hand lightly. He felt a bit nervous, not only because his parents would be mad but this was also the first time that Kelly would be seeing his house. He led her into the house and stopped inside the door as soon as he saw his father. John turned to Kelly. "Just stay right here."

John moved over to his father and they moved into the other room. "What do you think you're doing, son? You know you aren't allowed to bring women home." John frowned at his father. He wasn't sure why the man was so determined to keep him from doing anything physical with a woman. "You know these rules so why is she here?"

"Because there's some reason she doesn't want to go home. I don't know what it is, I didn't push it, but I didn't want her to go home if she didn't want to. We have a spare room that she can stay in." John hoped his father would understand. "I swear I have no impure intentions toward her."

His father considered the situation. "If I catch you two doing anything inappropriate you'll be sleeping outside." John nodded, agreeing to it. "Very well, get her settled."

"Thank you, sir." John left the room and returned to Kelly. She was standing where he'd left her but now his younger sister was staring at her. "Ana, leave her be." The two-year-old child looked toward him and stretched her arms out. John sighed and lifted her up, holding her in one arm. "Sorry about her."

"It's fine. Nice to finally see what your sister looks like." Kelly smiled at the little girl but Anastasia looked away from her. "So what's the verdict?"

"My father says you can stay the night." John led her down the hallway and to the spare bathroom. He opened it up and led her in. "When does Kathleen get back into town."

"It will be a few days but he'll be gone in a couple days." Kelly moved over to the bed and sat down. "Thank you again, John."

John moved over to her and leaned down. He gave her a quick kiss and stood up. "Anything for you, Bunny." Kelly smiled at the nickname. "Goodnight." He moved out of the room and down the hallway. He put Anastasia into bed and then moved to his own room. John changed out of his clothing and put on a pair of pajama pants. Usually he would have been fine sleeping in just his underwear but it felt awkward to do with Kelly in his house. Even if she wasn't in his room it felt like rushing things and he was more comfortable with a bit more clothing.

He lay in his bed considering if it would be improper for him to pleasure himself to the thought of Kelly when she was in his house. He was still contemplating the dilemma when there was a knock at his bedroom door. "Yes?"

The door opened and John was surprised to see Kelly standing in the doorway. "Can I come in?" John hesitated for a moment and finally nodded. Kelly moved into the room and shut the door behind her. John panicked for a moment. This was the scenario he'd been considering running in his head and it was happening. He was acutely aware that if his father walked in John would be sleeping in the yard but he didn't really care. Kelly moved over and sat down on his bed near him. "I wanted to thank you again for letting me stay here."

John pulled the sheets down and offered her a place to sit beside him. "It's not a problem," John assured her. Kelly slid under the covers with him and although John knew it would look bad if his father came in he didn't care. To him it was important to know if he could lie comfortably in a bed with her. His last girlfriend had slept in his bed once when they'd taken a nap. He'd been hit in the face several times during just that short nap. He didn't have any such worries with Kelly. As soon as she lay down beside him she moved to fit perfectly against his side, head resting on his chest. He was sure she could hear his heart pounding as her skin touched his bare chest. "I'd do anything that would make my Bunny happy. I have some carrots in the kitchens if that would make you happier."

Kelly laughed at his comment and she moved her head so she could look up at him. "I had an actual reason for coming to see you." John panicked again, a bit afraid that she'd come for the original reason his mind supplied. He knew he'd have to turn her down but he knew it would be hard. Kelly sat up and placed a hand on John's chest. "I told Kathleen the first time I stayed at her house so I owe you an explanation as well." John was confused by the words. He wasn't sure what she was talking about. "If you want to know I'll tell you why I don't want to go home."

John was surprised by the offer, not really having expected her to even offer to tell him. "I'd like to know," he admitted.

Kelly lay back down on he's chest and she wrapped an arm around his waist. There was something different in the way she held him this time. Her hands seemed to cling to him tighter and she was curled up a bit more against his side. John wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight to him, trying to reassure her, though of what he didn't know. "I don't want to go home because of my dad." John frowned, not understanding. His own father could be strict but he was overall fair and John wouldn't avid him, even if he was in trouble. "My dad doesn't come around all that often, or at least he doesn't stay. When I was young my mom would tell me that he was going away for work and that he was just going on a business trip. I don't remember when she stopped lying to me but maybe I just realized that he was just abandoning us." John listened silently, gently moving his hand over her back. "When I was in middle school I realized that after he'd leave things would become tight around the house. Turns out before he'd leave my mom would give him most of our money. It was around that time that I decided I wanted nothing to do with him. Whenever he'd come around I would walk to Kathleen's house and stay the night there. I just was tired of him abandoning me and taking so much from me while hurting me emotionally."

John hugged her a bit tighter as she curled up against him. He didn't know what to say, didn't know the right words. John just held her against him, trying to figure out anything he could stay.

They sat in silence until Kelly sat up. "I should go. We wouldn't want your dad to find us." Kelly lingered, her hand moving over his chest.

John put his hand on hers. "You could stay," he suggested. Maybe he was being irrational and maybe the feeling of her skin on his was messing with his head, all he knew was that he didn't want her to go. Kelly seemed uneasy and John squeezed her hand. "I just mean lay down with me for a while longer." Kelly lay down beside him again and settled into place. John wrapped his arms around her once more and held her against him.

John hasn't meant to but at some point he fell asleep. He only woke up when his mother woke him up. The look she gave him was disappointing but she seemed to relax when Kelly got out of the bed and was fully dressed. His mother still scolded them about what would happen if his father had caught them.

John got dressed and when he made his way to the kitchen for breakfast Kelly was already sitting and talking to Anastasia. John was a bit surprised as Anastasia tended to be a shy child and didn't easily adjust to new people. John moved over and placed a hand on Anastasia's head and she looked up at him. "Morning, Ana." He glanced over toward his parents to be sure they weren't looking his way before he leaned down and gave Kelly a quick kiss on her cheek. He moved over to Anastasia and lifted her up. She laughed, thinking it was all a game. John put her down in a seat on the seat on the other side of the table. Anastasia fussed when he tried to move away but he simply ignored her and took his seat beside Kelly.

His mother served them all eggs and bacon, taking a seat beside Anastasia. His father took a seat at the head of the table and John started to eat. "So, how did you sleep last night, Kelly?" John's father asked as he sipped at his coffee.

John froze, a bit worried if his father knew about Kelly staying in his room the night before. Maybe his mother had told his father and he was trying to get them to admit to what had happened. "It was good, a restful sleep," Kelly answered. "Thank you, again, for your generosity."

"Well you're important to John so our home is yours. You can stay here as long as you need to," his father offered.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you. I really just need somewhere for the weekend. It will be fine to go home in a few days." Kelly smiled softly and John was amazed at how she didn't seem to bat an eye at the possibility of his father knowing about the night before. His father turned his attention to the newspaper and the rest of the meal went by with only slight conversation. John was glad that none of them tried to ask Kelly questions, knowing that this was not the occasion. He hadn't brought her home to meet the family; he wasn't ready for that yet.

When breakfast ended Kelly went to her room and John set about his daily chores. He gathered up laundry from every bedroom stopping outside of the guest room. He knocked on the door and a few seconds later Kelly opened the door. "Laundry?"

"Well I don't have a change of clothing and is this really how you want to see my underwear for the first time?" Kelly smiled as John blushed.

"I would reply to that freely but I don't want my mother to hear my response. She might kick you out…or me." John smiled slightly and leaned in a bit. "Though just so you know it involves you showing your underwear to me now." Kelly raised an eyebrow and John simply continued to smile. "Want to go grocery shopping with me?"

Kelly seemed caught a bit off guard by the question. "Why?" John just shrugged in reply. He supposed he just wanted an excuse to get her out of the house but he also liked finding any reason to spend time with her. "Sure thing, if we get out of the house we can talk about whose bed we're going to sleep in tonight. I'll get my shoes on." Kelly shut the door and John was left standing in the hallway, unsure of if she was joking or not. He turned around and moved down the hallway toward the laundry room, trying not to focus on the idea of Kelly sleeping in his bed.


	205. Find Her

Find Her

A/N: Based off the Halo 5 trailer from E3.

John checked over his armor and looked over his weapons. He didn't know yet what might be ahead of him but he'd chosen some of the more reliable weapons. A magnum, assault rifle, a DMR, and a shotgun. John had thought of taking heavy artillery but he had decided that a rocket launcher or Spartan laser would be more of a burden than assistance. He had yet to meet an enemy his chosen weapons weren't effective against. His armor was newly upgraded to Mark VII systems and he hoped they would be enough. John had been given a rundown of the new features and upgrades but he would have to adapt to them in the field as he went. As he understood it this armor was the final form of the MIJOLNIR, what Doctor Halsey had always wanted it to be so her trust it.

"Are you sure that these weapons will be effective?" Captain Lansar said as she moved into the room. The woman had short cut blond hair and dark brown eyes. There was a scar on her right cheek and her face showed signs of aging dispute how young she actually was. "We don't know what's down there."

"She's down there," John replied, reaching out and retrieving the data chip from the table. Someone had put a chain on it but there was no reason to have done so. The only thing he wore around his neck were his own dog tags, and if he tried to sit it under his suit as well it would be uncomfortable. He looked to the Captain who was watching him. There was a slight look of frustration which was normal as people couldn't tell his emotions behind his helmet. "None of these weapons have ever failed me."

The Captain nodded and looked toward a screen showing data on the planet below. "We can't get too close to the planet. The last ship that got close was shot down. The planet was quarantined until further notice, probably until _Infinity_ can come smack it down if it attacks." The captain sighed and shook her head. "I'm probably going to lose my ship for this, once they catch up with us. I hope that this is worth it."

John looked down to the data chip. "As long as your communications officer is correct. He's sure about the signature on the transmission?"

"Communications officer Malik is the best there is. He is the one that translated the signal and figured out its source. It came through on a Forerunner channel from the planet, just barely anything there, but he caught it. I would stake my life on him being right."

John nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Then it will be worth it," he assured her, thing running absently over the token in his hand. As long as there was a chance he could save her it would be worth it.

"Well...we'll drop you whenever you're ready," the Captain said, a bit out of place, unsure of how to excuse herself. It wasn't uncommon as even Captains seemed to feel outranked by him. He was t even an officer but they saw him as a legend, which elevated him to a position akin to the Arbiter in the Sangheili leadership structure.

"I appreciate this. I can't abandon her, not after everything that we've been through. I owe you a personal favor for this." John said, turning his gaze to the Captain. There were no words for how much it meant to him she was putting her career on the line to help him save her.

The woman smiled and shook her head. "Actually, I'm paying back a favor," she corrected him. "You probably don't remember, after everything you've done, but I was just a pilot at the time. My bird was shot down and you Spartans saved me. I made a request and you agreed to it." John cocked his helmet to the side, not quite remembering. "I asked you to be sure my squad, who I was going to pick up, made it out alive. Id lost radio contact with them and i never would have forgiven myself if my mistake had cost them all their lives. When they got back to the ship there was only one casualty and they said you made sure they were my squad. You told them I was all right and what had happened." The Captain sighed and clasped her hands behind her back. "You probably don't remember."

"Omega Squad?" John asked. The Captain looked to him, surprised. "Pinned down by a group of sniper Jackals, but we had a better sniper. Got them out of there before the Wraiths showed up. I remember them."

The Captain smiled and John could see how genuinely happy she was. "You actually remember them." Her voice gave away how amazed she was that he remembered her team. John nodded and the Captain stood up a bit taller. "Well, I'll leave you to your final preparations. Just signal when you're ready to head down. Good luck, Master Chief."

With that the Captain took her leave. John waited until the door was closed before he let himself prepare himself mentally for what he was about to do. He wasn't supposed to be here, he wasn't even supposed to have left Earth, but when he'd heard they'd gotten a signal and he'd found out her signature had been tagged to it he knew he couldn't stay away. He had to find her, had to save her. He gripped the data chip tightly and closed his eyes.

He couldn't fail, not this time, not again. He had to protect her, rescue her, no matter what the cost. John slipped the chip into a pouch on his belt and turned toward his weapons. He grabbed a cloth cloak and started to wrap up his weapons. It would keep them close and made them easier to carry. The cloak would also come in hands based off of the environmental scans of the planet. From the scans the planet had large portions that were desert and not only could he use the cloak to protect his armor from harsh sandstorms which might damage the electronics. He could also use it for camouflage in the desert as his green armor might stand out if there were any local species that might find him to be food. John secured all the weapon and extra ammunition for all of them. He wasn't sure yet what he would meet or if he even had a way off planet once he got down there. He made sure his weapons were wrapped up tight and let himself have a moment to think. John pulled his helmet off and set it on the table beside the bundle. He looked to the information on the screen. "I know you're down there," he muttered. "I can feel it." He smiled just a bit. "We always had that special bond, and I can feel it now." He was aware of how stupid it was to be talking to nothing but he felt like she could hear him, like she always could. It was as though he could always feel her, always hear her, like their minds were linked. Science said that wasn't true and logic said it wasn't true but he didn't care. It was like his instincts, just there, guiding him.

"I failed you the last time I saw you. I didn't protect you, just let you slip away. I won't let that happen this time. I promise I'll get you back, protect you. Even if most of the time I need you to protect me." He reached over, grabbing his helmet again. He felt a new confidence, a determination to not fail again. He hesitated for a moment and slipped his fingers under the under layer of his armor, grabbing the chain, and pulling his tags out. There were three tags on his chain and he passed over the two that were his identification. He focused instead on the one that had been hand made. Palmer had given it to him before _Infinity_ had left on their mission. On one side she had scratched on the infinity symbol and on top of it had scratched 'IV'. She'd told him it was a symbol that he had the loyalty of_ Infinity_, and the Spartan IV. He flipped it over and ran his thumb over the other image. When he'd asked Palmer about it she'd only grinned and walked away. John just stared at it for a moment before he slipped the tags back under his suit and slipped his helmet back on.

John tucked the bundle of weapons under his arm and moved out of the room toward the drop pods. "I know you've waited for me, too long for me, to come get you, but just wait a little longer." He felt stronger than ever as he walked down the hallway. "I promise I won't leave you again, I won't abandon you. I won't let you suffer alone." He reached the pod and put his bundle inside. John moved into the pod and took a deep breath. He hit the seal button and his hand went to his chest where he knew his tags were under the armor. "I'm coming for you, Kelly." He thought of the rabbit scratched onto the metal. "I'm coming, Bunny."


	206. Human

**Pairing: Kathleen/Fred/Shadow Blade**

**Title: Human**

Kathleen walked down the dirt path, staring up at the clouds above. She didn't know why she was here or where she was going, but didn't even care at the moment. The air was warm, the sun was out, and she could hear the wildlife around her. Usually she would have felt uneasy so vulnerable like this but at the moment she felt completely at ease.

An arm settled over her shoulder and she looked to the man beside her. He reminded her of Will but she knew that it wasn't him. This man had scar tissue all over his jaw which seemed to stretch weirdly as he smiled at her. His hair was jet black but was streaked with blue the way Fred's was with silver. His eyes weren't human but alien, though she felt at ease under the gaze of those eyes. She couldn't place who he was but she knew him, felt safe with him.

Kathleen leaned against his side and they continued down the path. She heard another set of steps joins them and looked to her other side. Fred walked beside her, gaze looking out at the forest. Kathleen turned her gaze away from him and toward the sky.

Kathleen felt him try to slip his arm around her waist but she slapped his arm away. "Are you really that mad at me?" Fred asked his hand moving to her waist again but she hit his arm again. "Come on, Kathleen."

"Shut up!" She snapped, moving a bit closer to Blade. "I will break your hand if you can't keep it to yourself. I don't even know why you're here. Why don't you just go away?"

"Because you want me here," Fred countered. "I can't believe you're trying to replace me with him." Fred motioned to the human version of Blade. "I mean, replacing me with an alien. That's just...are you really that mad? Mad enough at me to make an alien into a human and dream about him? And why does he look like Will?"

Kathleen glared at Fred and stopped walking. The two men stopped and Blade's arm dropped from her shoulder. "You were always a weak, unconfident, and jealous man. Kathleen took a step toward Fred. He turned to look at her and she stopped in her place as she saw the distant look in his eyes. He was looking right at her but it was like he really didn't see her. Blade growled behind her and Kathleen pushed aside the pain from how Fred was looking at her. "Blade is my friend and I like taking walks with him. He's my best friend so of course he looks like Will."

"Why is he human at all?" Fred asked.

Kathleen shrugged in response. "I guess maybe because I was thinking about what he'd look like as a human my mind made him a human." Kathleen crossed her arms and frowned at him. "Are you really that insecure?"

"I'm only as insecure as you remember me," Fred retorted. "Forget the fact that I was assertive with you when we last met. Forget that I'm leading the Spartan IIs now."

"Would you have been that assertive if you'd been able to recognize me? It's harder to stand up to someone you know than a stranger." Kathleen moved to stand before Fred. Anger was rising up in her and she clenched her fist. "What would you have done if you recognized me? Would you have crumbled to doing what I told you?"

"No," Fred asserted, his hands suddenly moving to her waist and pulling her against him. "I'd be too busy doing this." His lips collided with hers and Kathleen was too surprised to react. She wanted to just give in to the kiss but she couldn't do it. Her hand moved up to his hair and she gripped as much as she could, pulling back. Fred pulled away as her hand tugged on his hair. "Ow, what are you doing?"

"Stopping you from doing what you wouldn't do." Kathleen released his head and frowned. "You were never a public show of affection kind of person. You wouldn't have done that, I know you well enough to know you wouldn't." Kathleen took a step back away from him and her shoulders slumped. "The fact is you have no idea who I am so it doesn't matter."

"I didn't have any idea who you were," Fred corrected. His hand reached out and Kathleen hesitated before reaching out and taking his hand in hers. "You remember me, I can be slow. Look how long it took for me to realize you did believe in me as a leader." She smiled a bit, his smile soft and sweet, the same gentle smile she'd seen so many times in their youth.

"Well that's an assumption I'm making." Kathleen looked down toward their hands. "Hell you probably still haven't figured that part out. If you can't figure that out how would you ever recognize me?"

"Hey, it's not as easy to figure out what someone else is thinking. You are smarter than that, Kathleen." He reached out and took her other hand, taking a step closer. "You know I love you, I just need some time to remember you."

Fred leaned forward but Kathleen turned away, causing him to kiss her cheek instead. "No, this is just a dream. My mind wants to believe you'll remember me. It's just hope and I don't like to live on hope. I live on skill and instinct."

"This is not hope," Fred countered. "This is instinct. You know I will remember given time. As long as you come home you'll see. The only thing I need you to do is forgive me." Fred looked over her shoulder and frowned. "And stop dreaming of elites as humans that look a lot like a combination of me and my rival for you."

Kathleen looked back at Blade who was watching her. "He doesn't really look anything like you. It's not like you have a trademark on streaked hair." Kathleen paused for a moment and looked back to Fred. "I don't know if I can do either of those things."

"Do you remember what I told you, about the person who mattered to me?" Kathleen looked over to Blade as he moved over to them, once more a Sangheili. Kathleen nodded and turned to Fred. "He is still alive," the Sangheili said.

Kathleen sighed and shook her head. "He hasn't at all apologized, this isn't him. This is just in my mind," she explained. "The actual Fred doesn't know who I am and hasn't apologized."

"Bit what if I did? Would you forgive me?" Fred asked. He dropped her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist. "If I remember you and apologize will you forgive me?"

Kathleen hesitated, not sure what to say. She wanted to believe Fred would remember her and she didn't want to be mad at him, but at the same time she didn't want to open herself up to being hurt again. Kathleen placed her hand on his chest and looked up at his pleading gaze. She sighed and leaned against his chest, allowing him to hold her. "We'll see," she finally answered.

Fred held her tight against him. "That's not a 'yes'," he pointed out.

"It's not a 'no', either," Kathleen countered. "Then again you're not really Fred." Kathleen turned her head so her cheek was against his chest. "It all depends on the real thing." Kathleen pulled away for a moment and pulled him down toward her. Their lips touched but Kathleen felt nothing. It wasn't that there was no emotion but rather she didn't feel his lips. She realized she couldn't feel his arms either and realized why. She didn't know what it felt like now for him to hold her or kiss her. Kathleen took a step away and found herself suddenly alone, standing in the main hall of Vadam Keep.

She looked around until she found herself facing her armor. Kathleen furrowed her brow and realized it wasn't just her armor, there was someone inside. "We need to prepare for the fight." The voice that came from the armor was her own.

"Who are you?" Kathleen kept herself from backing away. The armor would give whoever was in it a step up on her. "Why are you in my armor?"

"You mean why am I in my armor," the person corrected. "Do you really not recognize yourself? Maybe you should look in a mirror more often." Kathleen watched the figure for a moment, skeptical. The figure crossed her arms and took an annoyed stance. "We're wasting time. You're wasting time thinking about that jerk rather that focus on the mission ahead."

Kathleen set her hands on her hips, glaring at the helmet. "Why is what I think about any business of yours? If I want to think about Fred then I will. You're not the boss of me."

"Really, you think I have no business? For the last time I'm you. It is my business that you're wasting our time, becoming unfocused." The figure took a step forward and her arms fell to her sides. "How is that not my business?"

"It's just a dream, that's all; it isn't getting in the way of anything. It's not like it's getting in the way of anything." The figure just stared at her and she was starting to hate the black visor, and her reflection on the curved surface. "It's nothing," Kathleen muttered defensively.

"Don't lie to yourself," the armored figure snapped. "This isn't just a dream, and you know it will get in the way. An alien planet, being stranded behind enemy lines, and trying to take down an entire Keep. Sounds like the kind of thing you'd want to get things I to order before doing." The armored figure took a step closer. "Get your head on straight and focus. He doesn't remember you, he isn't going to ever remember who you are."

Kathleen's shoulders slumped, looking away from the black visor. "I know that, I know he won't. But what I'm doing is dangerous, and maybe I want to think that if I make it home there is a chance there's something waiting for me."

"I'll be damned if the only thing waiting for us back home is a man who had no idea who we are." The armored figure looked down and Kathleen followed her gaze. On the ground between them sat ODSK, staring up at Kathleen. "What about her? She'll never forget you and she's waiting." Kathleen looked up and then around them. All around them stood the ODSS in their full armor. "What about all of them? They all want you to go home safely."

Kathleen looked around at them and sighed. "I'm not saying I don't have other reasons to want to go home, only that he is the one thing that isn't settled." She turned around and found herself facing Fred. She sighed and turned back to the armored figure. "I guess I would rather just have all business in order before putting my life at risk."

"But this was never a problem before," the armor countered. "You knew he was alive for years and it was never a problem putting your life at risk without having things squared away." The armor crossed its arms. "Why is this time different?"

"Because this time I saw him, he should have known who I was. Because all the other times there was no way for him to know I was a live, but this time he should have." Kathleen sighed and looked over her shoulder to where Fred was now standing beside Blade, the two males glaring at each other. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "I need to stay focused, the mission is all that matters." When she opened her eyes again the only thing around her was the suit of armor.

"Well, at least you've got that clear, that's what I want. I'm not asking you to forget about it, just put it to the side. It's completely human to be hurt by something like this, but it's not ODSS to let it get in the way of the mission," the armor said. "Besides, you have to survive. You can't kick his ass for not remembering you if you die." The armor pulled its arm back and Kathleen could only watch. "Well, it's time to kick some ass. So, get moving." The armored fist shot forward, straight at Kathleen's face.

Kathleen sat up with a start, her helmet slamming into the metal of a second helmet. Kathleen looked over to see Blade holding his head. "What the hell are you doing, Spatula?"

Blade shook his head, shaking off the hit. "It is time to move. Our Phantom is waiting, and that Keep isn't going to topple itself." Blade snapped his mandibles and turned, moving away. Kathleen stood from the bed and followed him. There was work to be done, and the faster she did it the faster she could get back to Earth and deal with her Fred problem.


	207. Soul Mate

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Soul Mate**

**A/N: Based off a post on Tumblr. **

John looked around his new apartment, the living room still filled with his things. He'd get around to unpacking eventually but he was in no hurry. He looked it the window at the city, his new home. The buildings were all high and clean. It was a smaller city than he was used to, having moved from the largest city on the planet, Darkrath. Comparatively Elysan was about half the size but was growing quickly. John was fairly sure it would become a center of industry in just years.

John toyed with his necklace, surprised by how warm it was. It had always been cold in the past but now there was a comforting warmth. His fiver ran over the jagged edge of the symbol, his half of a pair. At the age of five every child was given a necklace like this. When her first been given it the pendant had just been a rock and one day he'd woke up and it had taken shape and color. Every human had one of these necklaces, a soul, as people called it. Somewhere out there was the mirror image of his pendant that fit perfectly with his. His literal soul mate.

About two years ago John had registered his symbol with the universal registry. It allowed people to narrow down where their other half was to a planet or city. Still it had only been a month ago that his match had registered her symbol. John knew she had been alerted, that she knew he was looking for her, but it was his part to look for her. A person was allowed to put their symbol into the registry and John had done so when he was comfortable with where he was in life. When his match had put her symbol on the registry he'd found a way to move to the city she was in. Luckily the company he was working for had a branch in this city and his boss had transferred him, understanding his search for his match. He was going to be overseeing projects at the new branch which was actually a step up from his job before.

John had always been taught that it was the man's job to go searching for their mate, up root their life and move to where their mate was. There were devices that John could use to basically give him his match's name and address but John didn't want to do it that way. Not only did it only work if she was on the same service but John had grown up hearing of his father's search for his mother. Of him searching a town, trying to find his mother. He'd told John of how he'd been walking through a park one day and he'd felt his necklace heat, a sign that he was getting closer to his match, and finally finding John's mother sitting under a tree, reading. John wanted a story like that to tell his kids one day.

There were old stories of chance meetings so long ago before humanity had souls to lead them to their other half. It had been about four hundred years ago the Heart Stone had been discovered and not long after the soul mate system was discovered. His mother had always told him that the his symbol was a representation of his heart, mind, and personality, and that somewhere out there was someone who's soul fit perfectly with his. She wouldn't be exactly the same as him but she would fit perfectly and he'd love her with all his heart. His father hadn't been as romantic and when John was in his teens had explained the theories science behind it. The stone reacted to long term contact with brain activity, so it was shaped by his thoughts, emotions, and his reactions to things.

John had never really been interested in looking for his partner. He'd satisfied his sexual needs with a consort, a person whose symbol was rounded and had no match. It had satisfied him and he'd had a good friendship with his consistent consort. John had once felt sorry for consorts as they had no match but the woman he had frequented had told him she was friends with all her clients and was happy with her life. He had accepted it and at a time wondered if the whole soul mate thing was just a social mandate as he'd had no desire to find his soul mate and neither had any of his friends. That had all changed one night when he'd been lying in bed and having trouble sleeping when he suddenly felt like his bed was empty. From that day on he felt like something was missing in his life and it took him weeks to realize he wanted to find his soul mate.

John's stomach growled and he realized he was hungry. He decided to head out and see what kind of food there was around. John locked his apartment and headed out to find some food. The streets were teaming with people and John wondered how he'd ever find his partner in a town with so many people. He tried to focus on the warmth from his necklace but it seemed hard to really tell if it was getting warmer or not.

John made his way to a small dinner that looked nice enough. The restaurant was filled with people in quiet conversations. He sat down at a booth and glanced around at the people. His fingers felt his necklace but it didn't feel warmer. He looked over the menu, not recognizing some of the food. He guessed they must be local dishes and that it might be a good idea to get used to such foods.

A woman walked over, his waitress based on her uniform. She smiled politely and John found himself checking her neck to see if her necklace was out. It was but it was a full symbol, the line where it was once two pendants was visible, which meant she was married. When a pair decided to marry the man bonded his symbol with his wife and she wore it from that day on. The man never replaced his, leaving his neck bare to indicate that his soul was with his wife. In homosexual pairings both members of the pair wore a second necklace to make a copy of their symbol, allowing both to have a full pendant. If the necklace had been hidden away the. Anna would simply not yet be looking for her match. Those who were searching or waiting wore theirs out in the open so they could be found easier. "High, my name's Anna, I'll be your waitress. What can I get you?" The woman asked.

"I'll have a water, and an order of," John paused for a moment and decided he would butcher the word if he tried. "I'd like this." He pointed to his chosen food on the menu.

"On, the Purta? Sure thing. I'm guessing then that you're new here." The woman tapped in his order on a small device. The order would do directly to the kitchens and to the cook.

John nodded. "I just moved here. This is my first day actually in the city. I'm guessing my inability to pronounce the food gave me away."

"Yeah, tourists and new people don't know how to say some of our dishes. Purta is a highly loved meal around here. So where do you live?" Anna asked.

"I live a few blocks from here. I was just walking around and decided to eat here." John was happy to have someone to talk to. He knew no one in town and talking to someone who knew the town was a good idea.

"So you have a dog?" John frowned and shook his head. "We'll then you'll want one," Anna advised. "Doesn't look it but this area can have some bad crime. The apartments allow animals and if you go up to the roof there's probably a garden as well. It's sort of just the culture around here."

"Thanks, I'll check the roof of my building when I get home. I'll also look into getting a dog." John had considered getting a dog anyway but he'd wanted to wait until her found his soul mate and knew where he'd be living.

The woman took out a piece of paper. "This is the address of the local shelter. There's a woman there that will find you the perfect pet. I swear she has a gift for it." A light flashed on Anna's belt. "Oh, orders to serve. I'll be back with your food." She handed the paper to him and left. John tucked the paper away and sat back to wait for his meal.

The Purta was good and he was glad to know there was at least one local dish he could eat. When he finished he payed and left a generous tip, happy for Anna's help. He made his way back to his apparent building and went up to the roof. He was surprised by the garden that was on the roof. There was an open grass area with a fence, most likely for dogs, and the rest of the roof was covered with flowers. He moved through the flowers and to the edge of the roof. John leaned against the wall around the rooftop and looked back at the flowers. There was a ache in his chest and John looked to his side, feeling as though there should be someone beside him. He had grown use to this a he since he'd realized he wanted to be with his soul mate. He made a note to bring her up here, maybe after a date. The flowers and city lights from below made the spot a bit romantic. He moved back through the garden and down the stairs, back to his apartment.

John didn't sleep well at all that week. He tossed unhappily at night in his bed that felt too big, the ache strong enough to keep him awake knowing he was so close yet so far from finding that missing piece. His work was fine, fitting in well leading projects and the head of the branch gave him a few extra duties as well. The day before the weekend John made up his mind to get a dog after someone tried to break into his neighbor's apartment and was only stopped because their dog scared the robber away.

On John's first day off work he looked up the address that the waitress had given him. When he reached the shelter he was surprised by how small the actual building was. The structure was small but there was a large fenced area behind it where he could see dogs playing or lying in the shade. John entered the front and found a teenage girl sitting behind the front desk.

The girl smiled at him as he walked up to the counter. Her necklace was tucked under her shirt but he could see the chain around her neck. "How can I help you, sir?"

"I'd like to adopt a dog, one to guard my apartment," John answered.

"Well I'll take you out back and we'll find you a dog. My boss is great at finding the right dog for a person." The girl led John out the back of the building through the lines of pens. Dogs raised their heads to look at him or walked along the fences as they passed. John looked at the animals, unsure of what kind he wanted. He needed a medium sized dog as that was most logical and he needed one that would bark at people breaking in. They passed out of the area where the dogs were and into a large area of trees, grass, and plants were cats were lounging happily in the sun. John wasn't really interested in them. He didn't dislike cats but he had no desire to own one. Still they moved on and John we wondering how large the facility actually was. It was them that John could see other people walking about. Some were in uniform and others were looking at the animals.

They finally stopped at a cage where a woman was feeding carrots to a small brown bunny while others sniffed and tried to move I to positions to get her attention so she would give them a carrot. John was struck by how beautiful she was. Her hair was a beautiful brown and her eyes a brilliant blue. She picked up one of the bunnies and it curled up in her arms. John was confused by the sudden desire to be that rabbit, curled up against her. John suddenly realized how hot he was. It was odd as he could have sworn it was a cool day, even with the sun shining. She looked toward him and John locked eyes with her for a moment. He was very attracted to this woman and he looked for her necklace, hopeful. To his disappointment she wast wearing one. It was odd to him that she wasn't wearing one at all but maybe she had a wife and simply hadn't wanted to wear one, or she was a consort and was just hiding that while not on the job.

"So you're looking for a dog?" The woman asked. John had completely missed that she'd talked to the teen a all. He nodded, unable to come up with anything to say. The smile on her face was sweet and made him feel happy as well. "Well then lets to get you a dog. What kind do you need?"

John felt reluctant to talk. Her voice rang so perfect in his ears he didn't want to speak and have his deep voice ruin it. She raised an eyebrow at him and he forced out an answer. "I need a guard dog. One to scare people away." The woman bit her lower lip as she thought and John couldn't help but think the action cute. He was very confused. He shouldn't be feeling this way. Her symbol didn't match his, she was most likely already married and wasn't even interested in his gender. Though if she were a consort it might make sense, though now that he was searching he shouldn't be interested at all in consorts.

"Well I think I have the dog for you, if you don't mind a mutt." There was a joyful look on her face and it made John smile by proxy. She led him through the pens until they reached a particular one. She opened the door and a scary looking dog walked out. It looked like a wolf but it moved over to the woman and licked at her hand. She scratched the canine's head. "This is Franklin. He's a sweetheart with a loud bark."

John reached out and the dog sniffed him, hesitant. John scratched the dog's head gently and it took a step closer so it could be scratched more. "He is sweet, but will he bark at an intruder."

"Sure will. He alerted us a couple weeks ago when someone broke into the main building. He won't attack but he'll scare." The woman sat down on the ground beside the canine and John followed suit. "What do you think of him?"

John pet the canine lay down before them and allowed them to pet him. "I like him," John answered. He was a peaceful dog and he seemed friendly. "Can I hear him bark?"

"Sure, just wait here." The woman stood up and moved out of the pen. John watched her walk away, enjoying the movements of her body. He looked down to the canine that was watching him. "Don't tell anyone I was watching her." The canine just watched him for a second longer before placing his head down in John's lap.

The woman returned a few seconds later. Franklin perked up as she arrived, wagging tail and tongue flopping out the side of his mouth. The canine sat up and turned toward the woman. John cursed himself for sitting up a bit straighter when the woman appeared, feeling as though he were as eager as the dog for her return and attention. The woman held up a small dog treat and Fredrick shifted, excited. "All right, Franklin, speak." The dog barked and John flinched at the sound. It was loud and deep, certainly frightening to someone that didn't know the dog was so sweet. "So, what do you think?"

"I'll take him," John answered.

"Hear that, Franklin? You've got yourself a home." The woman knelt down and scratched at the dog's ears. She was grinning happily and the dog was licking at her face.

John spotted something on the woman's wrist and furrowed his brow. "What's on your wrist?" he asked, hoping that he wasn't prying or anything. He didn't really know this woman, despite the thoughts in his head that made him feel like he knew her.

"Oh, it's my soul," the woman answered. She held up her wrist and John could see that she had wrapped the necklace around her wrist like a bracelet. "If I wear it around my neck then cats, bunnies, and puppies chew on it so I put it on my wrist while I'm here. So we can start the paper work if you want." Kelly froze as John gripped her wrist. "What are you doing?"

John looked down at the pendant. That perfect shade of blue and a symbol he knew by heart. He let out a relieved breath and smiled softly. "You know you're supposed to wear it around your neck for a reason." He turned her wrist so the pendant touched her skin. Her eyes shot down to the pendant, a look of surprise on her face. "So when you're near your soul mate you can feel it get warmer."

The woman's eyes met John's and he could see a mix of emotions in her eyes. Excitement, apprehension, and hope. Her eyes looked down to his collar and he released her wrist as she moved it to set the back of her hand against his chest, placing their pendants only an inch apart. John could feel the heat burn across his chest from his pendant but at the same time her hand resting on his chest seemed to calm the heat, giving him relief. She reached up carefully and picked up his pendent, placing it alongside hers and sliding them together. They fit perfectly and like that the heat was gone, no longer threatening to burn him alive.

The woman looked up and his gaze met his again, a wide smile on her face. She bit the side of her lower lip. Her gaze dropped and she looked away from him, suddenly shy. John smiled, finding her sudden shyness cute. She finally looked up and smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Kelly." She held her hand out for him to shake.

John took her hand but rather than shaking it he pulled it toward him and kissed the back of her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Kelly. My name is John." They sat in the pen for a while, both just enjoying the moment. John finally came up with something to say. "Would you like to get dinner?"

"Sure," Kelly answered smiling back at him, a blush on her cheek.

John smiled at his two children that were listening to him closely. "And that, kids, is the story of how I found your mother." He looked to the woman sitting on the couch beside him.

John's ten-year-old son looked unenthusiastic while his five-year-old daughter was completely absorbed. "That's so romantic," she said, gripping the stone around her neck. "When will my soul take shape?"

"You've only had it for a few days," Kelly said, smiling at her daughter. "It will take a couple weeks for your soul to form. And one day, when you're ready, you'll put it in the registry and your soul mate will find you, just like your father found me."

"How did you find her after just one week?" their son asked.

"Well my mother used to always say I was lucky. I just got lucky, really lucky. If that waitress hadn't given me that advice, if my neighbor hadn't almost been robed, and if your mother hadn't happen to be volunteering there at that time I wouldn't have found her so easily. It might have taken months or years for me to find her." John put an arm around his wife and she leaned against his side.

"That's even more romantic," their daughter said, grinning happily.

"Well, that's enough for tonight, off to bed," Kelly instructed. Their children complained but one stern look from Kelly and they slinked off to go to bed. John turned to his wife and kissed her cheek. "Maybe tomorrow night you should tell them the story of our wedding day," she suggested.

"You're much better at telling that one," John said, standing up. He held his hand and helped his wife stand. He looked down to the necklace that hung around her neck, the complete symbol of their joined souls resting on her chest. "Hopefully one day they'll have as wonderful of a story to tell their kids."

"I just hope that their soul mates are as good as mine." Kelly wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "And that their soul mates make them as happy as you've made me." John hugged her back.

"I think you're forgetting, I'm the lucky one. I got you as a soul mate." John countered before pressing his lips gently to hers.


	208. Wake

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Wake**

**Note: Based off the "Wake up John" trailer and the start of the gameplay in Halo 4.**

The sky above was calm, filled with fluffy clouds that shifted as the wind carried them through the bright blue sky. The weight on his chest shifted and he felt warm breath touch his neck. There were birds chirping nearby adding to the calm of the scene. John wrapped his arm loosely around the other person's waist and gently slipped his fingers under her shirt, touching her soft skin. In response the breath on his neck became a set of lips, pressing gently against his skin.

"Lion," he muttered, almost regretting it right away. The lips moved away and the woman turned to look to the sky, causing John to lose the skin contact.

The woman pulled herself up on his body and into view. Her bright blue eyes seemed to shine in amusement and there was a slight smile on her face. "You really are awful at this game. That is clearly a fish."

John smiled, having never been able to identify a cloud as something she agreed with. "Rabbit." She turned around and looks over the sky, trying to find anything. "Oh my mistake." John's hand moved up and pulled her down so he could press a soft kiss to her throat. "It's a Bunny." Kelly laughed before leaning down to press her lips to his. John deepened the kiss, arms holding her tight. He rolled them over, pinning Kelly on the soft grass. He pushed his body against hers and she turned away from him enough to laugh. John pulled back and frowned at her. "What's so funny?"

Kelly laughed as her hands moved up to his chest and slid to his shoulders. "You," she answered.

"Oh, I'm funny am I?" John smiled and leaned down a bit. His hands moved to her side and slipped under her shirt. "Maybe I should see what other sounds you can make." His mouth moved to her neck as his hands moved higher, seeking out more fun places.

"I wish you could be like this when you're awake." John stopped and looked at her, confused. Kelly's hand traveled up to his hair, running her finger along the edge of his hairline. "Moa," she said, pointing to above her. John looked up and spotted the Reach native bird standing a bit away.

John looked back to Kelly and shook his head. "No, this isn't a dream, I am awake. A Moa doesn't mean anything." He buried his face into her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to stay here in our warmth but he could feel cold creeping in. He held on almost desperate to stay there in the peace with her.

"John, wake up." Kelly's voice gently urged him. "John, wake up." Kelly's voice was quiet and her lips pressed against his. John's eyes opened and to Kelly leaning over him. He could have sworn he had been on top of her a moment ago but he didn't care. He was with her and that was what matter. Kelly's arms wrapped around his neck and she leaned so that her chest was resting on his. John was aware of the bare flesh touching flesh and the way that their legs were tangled.

"Do you need something?" John moved his hand down his back, finger tracing from the base of her neck, down her spine, to her buttocks. "I was having a good dream." His finger traveled back up, gently running over the skin. He felt a shiver run up Kelly's spine at his action.

"We need to get to cryo. Our absence won't go unnoticed. Kelly sat up a bit but John's arms suddenly wrapped around her. At the mention of cryo John had felt the cold sneaking in again. Kelly looked down at him and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to go into cryo. I don't want to be cold." John pulled her down so that he could bury his face against her throat, trying to soak up her warmth. "I want to be warm, the warm you make me." He held her tight and shifted his leg to trap her more in his grasp. "No," he asserted like a child refusing to go to bed.

Kelly laughed and he soaked it in hungrily. He loved that laugh. It was light and echoed in the empty room. "All right, John, enough messing around. We need to go before we get in trouble." She tried to move again, but John didn't relinquish his hold. "John, you're starting to worry me. You need to let go." There was concern in her voice and her hands gripped his skin a but tighter.

"No," John repeated, but more forcefully. "I want to be warm." He could feel the cold around him, trying to break through the warmth that radiated off of Kelly. "I want to stay with you." John could feel his heart beating faster but it seemed like a bit too much. He started to feel panic, not understanding what was wrong with him. He clung to Kelly, trying to let her heartbeat and the feel of her flesh sooth him but it didn't seem to be working.

Kelly relaxed in his arms and her fingers gently slid into his hair, pushing his head closer. "All right, John. I'll keep you warm. As long as you're with me everything is fine, remember that." John felt her kiss the top of his head as she started to hum in an attempt to sooth him. "You need to wake up, John."

John shook his head. "No, I don't have to." He didn't see why he couldn't sleep for as long as he wanted. He felt fatigue sinking into his muscles and skin, followed quickly by the cold and a slight bit of pain.

"Yes, you do," Kelly asserted. "You need to wake up." Her nails suddenly dug into his scalp and John winced, more surprised by her violence than the pain. "John, wake up!" Kelly's voice was scared and seemed to be drowned out.

John's eyes snapped open and he was looking up to a burning sky. He looked to his side where Kelly was kneeling beside him , in full MIJOLNIR armor. She placed a hand on his armored chest and he set his on hers. John sat up and looked around at the broken city around him. He didn't recognize the area but he knew they were under attack. John forced himself to his feet, Kelly helping him. She assisted him over into a broken village and helped John sit down.

John simply didn't have the energy to stand though he didn't know why. There was no blood on his armor and his HUD didn't indicate any injury. Kelly knelt down beside him and started to check his armor. "What happened?" John asked.

Kelly's shoulders shrugged slightly, the speed with which she did it was impressive as such a small action was difficult in MIJOLNIR armor, even more with how quickly Kelly moved. "You just collapsed," she explained. "Did you hit your head or something to wrong with your armor?"

John shook his head. "I'm fine," he assured her. He tried to stand but didn't have the energy. "I can't move." It frustrated him as they were in combat, he needed to do his part but his body seemed to disagree.

Kelly reached up and removed his helmet. He was going to protest but she leaned in and he knew she was looking at his pupils. She frowned when she didn't find anything. "Maybe something's wrong with your armor." Kelly started to check his armor, looking for anything that was wrong. John tried to move his his limbs were slow, likens was moving in molasses.

He leaned forward and she checked the power pack of his armor. He let her work while he watched the door for any enemies. Glass shattered, a flash of blue went past John's face, and liquid splattered across the side of his face. The liquid was cold, like it had been chilled by ice before he was splashed. He turned to look toward the source and saw movement as well.

John's eyes widened as he saw Kelly gripping the side of her neck, red slipping through her fingers. He didn't know where the strength came from but his limbs responded, moving to the wound and applying pressure. Kelly's own hands moved away and she tried to steady herself against the wall, her legs giving out so she was sitting on the ground. John could see the blood slipping past his hands but if he pressed more she wouldn't be able to breathe and she'd suffocate. He could see the strength leaving her. Her arm went limp leaving a bright red streak of blood down the wall from her hand.

John felt panic and helpless to do anything. "Kelly?" Her helmet turned toward him and she reached up, pulling the helmet free, letting it fall to the floor. John could see her eyes turning pale and her eyes starting to close. "Kelly?!" John moved one hand from her neck to her cheek. "Kelly, stay with me, please." John turned around as he heard his name called. He recognized the voice, it was Cortana. He turned back to Kelly and leaned in close. "Kelly, hold on. Cortana is somewhere nearby. I'll go get her, have her call for help, and you can be evaced."

John started to move away but her hand gripped the wrist on his neck. "No, don't leave." John turned back to her and, moved close. Her voice was weak and her breathing heavy. "I don't want to die alone."

John felt like the air was sucked out of his lungs and he struggled to breathe. He wanted to say something, anything, but he had no voice. John felt her hand touch his cheek, leaving a trail of cold blood on his skin. He gripped her hand with his free one, being sure to keep a hand on the wound. John leaned down and set his forehead agains hers. He looked her in the eyes, horrified by how du they looked. John pressed his lips to hers. They were cold against his but she returned the action weakly.

When John pulled away Kelly's eyes were closed and she wasn't breathing. There was still blood flowing from the wound but there was no life in the woman in his arms. John set his forehead against hers as his breathing became difficult and started to burn as his heart beat increased. He could hear somewhere far away, Cortana calling for him to wake up. He ignored it, hugging the body of his love as it grew colder. She wasn't there to chase away the cold and it fully assaulted him, as though trying to freeze him.

Cortana shouted again, this time louder. What was when he remembered Linda and Reach. They'd gotten her body to cryo in time and had been able to save her. He reluctantly released Kelly's body, placing a quick kiss on her lifeless lips. "I promise I'm going to save you. Just hold on. I promise." He stood and looked around, setting off in what direction Cortana's voice was coming from. If he got her to call an evac they could put Kelly in cryo and save her, bring her back. He hoped his luck held out, just this once he really needed it.

John's eyes snapped open and he realized nothing was the same as a moment ago. He was in a cryo pod and he cold see Cortana's holographic avatar. He didn't know if he should be happy or disappointed. At least he knew why his skin and lungs were burning, he had damage to his skin because he was in his armor and the material had been frozen to his skin. His heart must be beating so hard because Cortana had given her too much of the stimulants to wake him up. He looked around and then down to his hands, glad to see that they were clean. So it had all just been a dream, in his head. He relaxed, his fears another having failed to save Kelly set aside now that he knew it wasn't true. He would have to examine how much of his reaction was because of the wake from cryo and how much was because of emotional compromise. For now he would find out why he the AI had woken him up, and apparently in a hurry.


	209. Husband's duty

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Husband's duty**

John's fingers ran along her waist, tracing her pelvis as his lips touched her stomach. Kelly lay back on the bed and her eyes closed, enjoying the affection. She felt his hands move over her skin as he moved into position, fingers teasing her skin in anticipation. Kelly tensed as she waited for him to stop teasing and get to work. He continue to hide his time, placing light kisses on the soft skin and his fingers tracing around what she wanted. Kelly groaned in frustration and felt him smirk against her skin at her impatience. He always did like to tease her, a small show of his dominance in this situation. He had all the power and she was helpless to do anything if he decided to go slowly or procrastinate.

Finally his fingers found their real target and went to work. Kelly let out a relieved moan, finally getting what she wanted. She knew John would be watching and listening, having always said that her reaction directed him where to touch and what felt good. She didn't try to hold back any sound or motion, anything that would urge or direct him. His fingers moved expertly, hitting all the right places and drawing moans from deep in her throat. She gripped the sheets under her tightly and her toes curled. John's fingers pushed with more force but moved slower, balancing out the pleasure. "Oh, John," she ended it with another moan. He laughed deeply and she found the amusement in his voice to be attractive, deep and masculine. A manly laugh.

Kelly's back arched as John pushed deeper, taking it all to a new level. She moaned his name again and her breathing became deeper. "You are so beautiful," John said, placing a kiss on her bare skin. "Beautiful and sexy." Kelly laughed at his comment but stopped his fingers left. "Don't laugh at that, it's true you are the most beautiful and sexy woman alive."

"Fine, I'm sorry, beautiful and sexy. Just keep going. She lifted her head to look down at him. He smiled at her shaking his head. He knew she was just saying what he wanted so he'd continue. He let it pass and her head fell back as John's fingers returned. "Thank you," she muttered, relaxing again onto the soft sheets. He started the entire process again, staring out slow and soft, slowly increasing his force but slowing to be sure his movements were precise. He responded to each moan, every flex of muscle, and every shift of her body. He demonstrated that while she could read his emotions easily through facial expressions he was a master of her body language. T

"Why are you so good at this?" Kelly asked. It was a natural talent, something he could do without training or instruction. She'd been skeptical the first time that he'd offered but she was glad she let him do it. She'd been left lying limp on the bed with John lying on top of her. That had been a day she would never forget. Partially because of how good he'd made her feel but it had been the first time they'd laid on the same bed as each other. Sure they'd laid on the grass with each other, slept on cots beside each other, and slept on the same cot in shifts, but never at the same time.

"Enjoying yourself?" John asked, his fingers hitting that spot she knew she loved so much. Kelly moaned as she let out a long breath. "Like that don't you?" Kelly could only answer with another moan. John laughed as he enjoyed having her under his command.

"What are you doing?" Kelly sat up quickly and looked to the door where Sam was standing, staring wide eyed at them.

Kelly was at a loss for words. How did you explain this to a child. "I'm taking care of your mother," John answered. "I'm doing something every man should do for a woman he loves."

Sam looked confused and frowned. "But it looks gross."

"It's not for my enjoyment, it's for your mothers." John motioned for his son to come closer and Sam obeyed. "It's not as gross as you may think." His thumb moved against her skin and she sighed as she enjoyed his touch. "Your mother works hard and she deserves to be treated properly. Part of how I show you mother that I love her and appreciate her." Sam frowned, still not understanding. "It's not gross," John assured him.

"But you're touching her feet," Sam countered.

"Well your mother keeps her feet very clean, and even so it's worth it to make her happy." John ran his thumb along the soul of Kelly's feet, applying the perfect amount of pressure. "I've done this for your mother since we were trainees," he explained.

"Still looks gross," Sam said, crossing his arms. Kelly smiled and laughed at her son's reluctance.

John sighed, seeing that he wasn't going to convince his son. "Was there something you needed, Sam? Why you came here."

"Oh," Sam nodded as he remembered why he'd come in. "I wanted something to drink but I can't reach the milk in the refrigerator."

John lifted his son up and stood. "All right, let's get you something to drink." He started to leave the room and Kelly moved to follow but he stopped and turned back. "Don't move," he ordered. "I'll come back to finish once he's got his milk."

John left the room and Kelly thought of staying, but decided against it. She got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. John was pouring milk into a cup for Sam, his favorite cup with the cartoon Unggoy on it. Their son was standing at John's side, watching his father and waiting patiently for his drink.

Kelly watched as John put the lid on the top, causing Sam to pout. "I don't need a lid, I'm not a little kid," their son complained.

"You may not be a little kid but you did spill it all over the place the last time I didn't put on a lid and I'm going to be busy with your mother, so I'd rather not have to clean milk off the carpet." John held the cup down for his son. Sam took it and John spotted Kelly. "I told you to stay in bed."

"I decided not to do that," Kelly said, shrugging slightly.

John turned his gaze down to his son who was sipping from his cup. "You know at one time I could give your mother an order and she'd actually follow it."

"That was years ago and I was a lot lower rank," Kelly pointed out. "If anything I should be ordering you."

John smiled and looked back to his son. "Why don't you go and color some more." Sam nodded and moved out of the kitchen and back toward the living room where he'd been coloring. John moved over to Kelly and his hands moved to her waist. She expected him to pull her against him but instead she was lifted up. John lifted her up as though she were as light as air and carried her over his shoulder. "If you won't follow orders I'll just have to make you."

Kelly laughed and relaxed, knowing that there was no point in fighting him. "You really don't like being in charge."

"I may not have a rank for the battlefield now but in this house I am still in charge," John asserted. "Now, you walked to the kitchen, meaning you used your feet. That means I have to start all over again." Kelly smiled and chose not to protest. She couldn't really complain about getting another full foot massage from John.


	210. Protect

**Title: Protect**

**Pairing: John/Kelly **

Kelly moved down the halls of the cruiser, fighting the urge to scratch at the new wound on her side. The medics had seen it but the skin still itched to an annoying degree. The Spartans had been defending a bunker where half a dozen soldiers were taking cover, too injured to fight. During the fight Kelly had taken a needled round to the side and the resulting explosion from the projectile left a gaping hole in her side. She was just glad that there hadn't been any organ damage. Though John had been as annoyed as he could be when he found out she'd sort of bid the wound from him until the end of the fight.

Kelly stepped into the gym and sighed as she found him exactly where she had expected. He was in the heavy gravity part of the gym, lifting weights. Kelly stood back and just watched him, appreciating the way his muscles moved with each motion. He didn't even seem to notice her when she walked over to stand behind him. She moved to stand behind him and her hand went to his shoulders, smiling as she felt him tense when he noticed the touch, aware that it had felt like a slow reaction to her. He turned and looked up to her, his face mostly blank except for the ever so slight downward tug of his lips in concern. She knew he was concerned, paired with the internal damage and slight burns from earlier in the mission she had been in bad shape when they'd come back to the ship. Or at least it was bad shape as far as John was concerned. Kelly knew she could keep fighting but, due to past missions with unreported injuries, John seemed to be more cautious about her being injured.

John stood and placed the weights on the rack before he turned to her. "What else were you keeping from me?" He moved over to sit down, his hand settling on her recently healed side. Kelly frowned at him, resenting him implying that she'd kept the wounds from him on purpose. Hey had been in combat and she always informed him or injuries after a fight.

Kelly's hand moved to his wrist and forced his hand down from her side, letting hints to her annoyance show. "Nothing," she asserted. John looked up at her, a bit of confusion and hurt evident to Kelly. "I didn't keep anything from you. You noticed my wounds before I was sure it was clear and assumed I was trying to hide them. Not that I can hide a hole in my side." John didn't reply, his eyes falling to the injured side, as though still able to see the wound. "Stop that."

"How many were from you protecting my back?" John asked. Kelly scowled at him and his comment. John reached out toward her but stopped just short, remembering her forcing his hand down. "I'm supposed to protect you."

Kelly sighed and reached down, pulling his outstretched hand to touch her side. "We're teammates, John, were supposed to protect each other, and we did." Kelly let her hand rest on his on her side. "That's what being a teammate means."

"Yes, teammates are supposed to protect each other, and if you were Fred or Linda I could agree that you're correct, but you aren't." John stood and moved over to another weight machine. Kelly followed him, not understanding what he meant. "You are my teammate, so we protect each other, but that's not all." He sat down and checked the weight. When he was sure it was set right he moved into proper position, straddling the seat and looking up at her. He must have seen her confusion as he continued his thought. "You're more to me than a teammate, someone I have to protect. Friends and teammates have to protect each other, but you, I have to protect. No each other, I just have to protect you."

Kelly understood what he was talking about. Their relationship did set them aside from the other Spartans as they were more than just friends or teammates. Kelly didn't really have room to judge him. She protected his back as her friend but she paid more attention to protecting him than any other Spartan because of her love for him. She wanted to tell him that she could protect herself but she didn't want to start a fight and she wouldn't have strong ground to stand on in an argument. John moved back on the seat and grabbed the bar to pull down. Kelly moved forward, grabbing the bar to hold it in place. "Stop." John frowned and pulled the bar down. Kelly was t really able to stop him with her position, not that he couldn't beat her in a competition of strength anyway. The motion left her bent over, her forehead almost touching his.

John looked up at her but froze in his actions, keeping her bent down toward her. "Why?" was all he asked.

Kelly could feel the tension in the air, not so much hostile but very serious. She decided maybe she'd try to lighten the mood a bit. "Although I enjoy the show I wouldn't want you to get too bulky." John either didn't get that it was a joke or if he wasn't in the humor mood but he seemed just as tense. "John, you can flip a tank with relative ease, you don't need to work out like this."

John let the bar rise and released it, moving her hands to her waist. Kelly let herself lean on his hands and stood up. She set her knee on the seat and sat down on her leg. John's hands remained on her waist as he stared up at her. She could feel that there was something bothering him, but he had to take his own time to voice it. Kelly had learned long ago that if John was going to say something she had to be patient and wait for him to be ready. "I just want to be stronger," he finally said. "If I can be stronger I hope I can protect the one thing I can't live without."

Kelly knew that she should tell him not to talk like that. That they couldn't feel that way about each other but she kept her silence. She could see the signs that he was too pride to just admit that he needed comfort. He always tried to be the strong Spartan leader, but she knew him well enough to see when he was in need. Her hands moved to his shoulder and she smiled at him as her hands moved up his shoulders to his neck. John leaned his head forward, forehead resting on her sternum. Kelly placed her hands on the back of his head as she hugged him to her chest. She placed her chin on his head and felt his hands move up to her shoulders.

"You passed out three times on the pelican ride back," John informed her. Kelly remained silent, not having been aware of that information. She didn't remember it so she couldn't refute the claim but she didn't really want to acknowledge it.

Kelly sighed as she felt his hands slide down her back, tired. Kelly lifted her head and he lifted his head to look up at her. "I'm going to go take a shower," she stated. John nodded, accepting her decision. Kelly stood up and smiled down at him. "And you're going to join me," she informed him. John smiled a bit and stood up, following Kelly as she walked toward the showers.


	211. Flip

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Flip**

John stared down at the Spartan IV in the training room bellow, gathered on the training mats. They didn't seem to be a particular special group of people, rather average really. Two men, two women, no odd hair colors, none particularly tall or short, and none that seemed to be in charge. They weren't exactly peaceful, a couple of them sharing heated words but it wasn't a fight. From their action report on Requiem they were a good team, one that John would feel confident with if they were backing Blue Team. If it hadn't been for their action _Infinity_ would have been destroyed along with the planet and the efficiency with which they completed the task was impressive. For now _Infinity _was stationed back at Earth while ONI studied some artifact they had retrieved. John hadn't looked too much into it, having his own things to worry about. The custody fight over Sam was getting harder and harder, and difficult things were coming to light.

John's eyes focused on one of the Spartans, the reason why he'd come looking for this group. Her hair was a familiar brown and things like her ears look familiar to him. The black body suit showed off a strong but slim body, certainly the desired physic of a Spartan. She was arguing with one of her teammates but seemed to be restraining herself. John frowned as he realized he'd assumed she was her team's leader. Maybe he was just asserting the ways of the Spartan IIs on these Spartan IV. Though when he thought about it he could have sworn most Spartan IV teams had five members.

"What are you doing up here?" John turned to Kelly as she walked up to stand beside him. She looked down at the Spartans and frowned. "Is that her?" John nodded and looked back down to the Spartan. "So what's your plan?"

John shrugged in response, not really sure how to answer. He hadn't really come up with a plan, youth he'd honestly hoped a plan would be obvious when he saw her. "I don't know what to do, or even what I'm doing here." John looked to his wife and sighed. "I don't even know why I looked into any of it."

"I wish they'd never opened those records," Kelly muttered. "They had no right to force that on us, it doesn't effect who we are." She leaned on the railing around the upper catwalk. "I can't blame you for looking into the facts, John, but you don't have to do anything with that information."

"We should have anticipated them bringing out information about our past. At least they have us a heads up that they were going to bring it up in court. I wouldn't have wanted to find out about my father in court." John frowned, remembering the surprise and disappointment he'd felt when her found out that his father was a wanted rebel. "Though I don't understand why she wasn't in the file."

"It was sixteen years. I don't think ONI cared at that point. It seemed like they were only focused on us." Kelly set a hand on John's forearm. "They stopped keeping track of me a few years after I joined according to my file. Though mine doesn't have anything as bad as yours."

"You have no idea," John muttered. Kelly raised an eyebrow at his comment. "Did your file have many notes from Chief Mendez?"

Kelly shook her head. "You always were their favorite. I'm sure he would have had a lot more to write about you."

"I would have thought they'd be in your file. They concerned you." Kelly frowned in confusion so John explained. "I always thought we were so careful but someone must have told. First I'm I've ever been called a horny teenager though." Kelly smiled and raised an eyebrow. "There was a series of reports arguing that although he tried to squash trainees from having relations he would only step in if it created team issues. As the Chief put it 'they're horny teenagers and if you aren't going to give them anyone else of course they're going to start screwing each other.' He then went on to say something about hosing us down but that making more problems." Kelly laughed and John frowned, not understanding the joke. He glanced down to the a spartan IV who were now looking up at them. John cursed, having hoped to observe them in secrecy.

John grabbed Kelly's hand and led her down the catwalk and into a separate room. She continued to laugh, amused by his embarrassment. "Are you really that afraid if facing her?" Kelly asked.

"That's not exactly it," John said, making his way across the room to some chairs that were against the wall. Kelly followed him over and sat in the chair beside the one he sat down on. "Do I have a right to face her?" Kelly gave him a confused look . "I've been dead to her all her life, I was sixteen when she was born. Do I have a right to walk into her life when I was never in it before. What if she doesn't want to know me?"

"Then she doesn't have to. You don't have to force yourself on her, just let her know if she wants it that relationship is there." Kelly reached out and took his hand, her fingers running over the ring on his finger. "You just need to tell her, let her know who you are, and that if she wants it you want it to."

"But do I?" John asked. "Or do I just feel obligated? Shes actually my flesh and blood, but do I really want that? The Spartans are my family. What about Sam?"

"John, over the years out family has gotten a lot smaller. There's room in it for addition, for her and Sam." Kelly held his hand tightly. "I know you John, of course you feel obligated, but that's not a bad thing. That same feeling is why we're fighting for Sam."

"No, I'm fighting for Sam because he's our child and thy took him from us wrongly," John argued. "I just don't know, Kelly. It's like choosing if I should or shouldn't leave a soldier behind. I don't know if I can do it."

"Well, if you can't make the choice what are you going to do?" Kelly asked.

John thought, finally making a choice. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver coin. "Heads I walk away, eagle I talk to her."

"You really want to leave this up to a coin flip? You want to leave a life changing event up to a coin flip?" Kelly friend disapprovingly at him. "I hope you haven't been using that thing to make other big choices."

"No, but it's not about chance. You and the others are always saying I'm lucky. Well then the coin should, with my luck, lead me to the right thing to do," John reasoned.

Kelly reached out and took the coin from his hand. "I don't know about this John. I don't think this is a decision for luck. It should be a decision of the heart. But keep your brain out of it. It will over think it every time."

"My heart is telling me that the coin will tell me what's right," John countered. He held out his hand and Kelly rolled her eyes before reluctantly handing the coin back to him. "Do you really think this is such a bad idea?" He looked down to the coin, flipping it over in his hand.

"I can't say I think it's a good idea," Kelly answered. "If you really think it's the right thing then I don't have a right to stop you. This is your choice, so make it however you want."

John considered her words. She was always better with these sort of personal matters. Maybe he should listen to her advice now. John studied the eagle on the coin and sighed. "I don't have any other way to make the choice. I can't take my head out of it." He turned his gaze to Kelly. "What do you think I should do? And don't say decide for myself."

Kelly sighed and turned away from him. "You're asking a lot, John. She's just a stranger to me, but she's a lot more than that to you. I can only ask you what your first instinct was."

"That's a good way to dodge the question," John muttered. "Of course my first thought was about meeting her. But then I realized all the problems with that."

"Possible problems," Kelly corrected. "You don't know if any of them will happen."

" But I don't know her so I don't know if it will happen." John sighed and held up the coin. "This takes my head out of it. This coin has never led me wrong before. It helped me become a Spartan, become everything I am, and led me to you. I trust it."

Kelly released his hand and crossed her arms. "Then flip it."

John placed the coin on his thumb and the coin flipped in a high arc.

John let the coin land in his hand before he snapped his fingers shut around it. "Head I don't, eagle I do." He looked down at his clenched hand. "Did you see what it landed on?" He hadn't actually been looking at it, didn't want to. He was nervous about what it had landed on. Kelly nodded but said nothing. "What is it?"

"Open your hand and find out," Kelly answered. John sighed and slowly opened up his hand so he could see the coin.

Author's note: This line of story will be continued in my new series, Anastasia.


	212. New Equipment

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: New Equipment **

John walked down the hallway, making his way toward the gym. He'd just come from the Spartan barracks where he'd shown the armor to most of the Spartans that had been there but he'd been told that some were in the gym training. They'd all been prepping themselves for the upcoming difficult mission. John still wasn't comfortable with the lack of information but with his new armor and with a smart AI to help them it seemed like they might have better chances.

"I think so far things are going well." The AI, Cortana, wasn't actually in his armor at the moment but she had tapped into his suit's systems to communicate with him. John had been introducing her to the Spartans to make them more comfortable around her. "Over all they seem to like me."

"It's important that they feel comfortable." John wanted to be sure that they could trust the AI to do her job. They'd never needed a smart AI to do anything for them so it would be a new adjustment for his soldiers. "The ones I'm heading to are the most important. Blue Team."

"I am looking forward to meeting your inner circle. As long as it doesn't turn out you're all werewolves," Cortana joked.

"Werewolves aren't real," John stated. He didn't know what she was talking about. Spartans may be legends but they weren't mythical creatures. "They're my most trusted teammates and the people I trust the most. It's most important that they can trust you." All Spartans in some way looked to Blue Team and John would be relying on his team the most during the upcoming mission.

"It was a joke, master Chief. You should learn how to relax," Cortana commented lightly. John kept his silence, knowing that how he relaxed wasn't particularly something he wanted to share with the AI. They were simple meals sitting with his team, reaching a planet that wasn't under attack by the Covenant, or one of the rare moments he got with Kelly. Those were when he was relaxed, but he didn't think and AI would understand how that was relaxing. "My, you really do think a lot." There wasn't even a pause before Cortana moved on to her next thought. It was something inhuman, how quickly her attention shifted but she acted like it was nothing. "It is very interesting to watch them. It seems that Spartan zero-five-eight is a part of the team but at the same time not. I'm not surprised though that Spartan one-zero-four is beating Spartan Zero-eight-seven in their sparring match. His records show him as being very skilled in hand-to-hand combat."

"Fred is only doing well because Kelly's letting him." John knew his Blue Two well enough to know she was not only slowing herself but probably letting Fred get in hits from time to time.

"So you say but they both seem quite focused on the fight but Spartan one-zero-four Is quite clearly doing better. He is clearly on the offensive and leaving no openings," Cortana informed him. John didn't argue, knowing that she couldn't know the truth of the situation as she didn't know Kelly or Fred. Though that wasn't her concern, it was his and he knew his team well.

The door to the gym opened and John looked across the room to where Fred was sparing with Kelly. Kelly was batting away every strike but John could see openings that Kelly could easily exploit at full speed but as she slowed herself down for the match so she couldn't move fast enough to use them. Linda was sitting to the side, watching the fight with Will and Joshua sitting beside her. James was cleaning up the weight area but stopped when John entered. He looked the armor over and walked over. John met him half way and came to a stop so that James could look over the armor. The other man looked him over and John held out his arms a bit so that James could see the full extent of the new armor.

"You always get the best stuff first," Linda commented as she moved over toward John and James. The rest were following her across the gym to come over and examine the armor as well. "Just once I'd like to be given the newest gear first."

"Well if they make a new sniper rifle you'll be sure to get it first," Will joked as he reached John. He moved around the back to check out the power pack.

"The plates look bulkier. Do they restrict the movement at all?" Kelly asked. John knew that she hated just about anything that restricted her movements. She only put up with it when it was training equipment or it was him, but in combat it made her unhappy.

"The armor reacts well so you shouldn't have to worry about movement. I think it will even make you faster as it reacts and seems to multiply actions a bit more," John informed her.

"Cause what we need is for her to be faster," Fred smiled at Kelly. "I'm fairly certain that in the current armor you're about a mile away from making a tornado in your wake." Kelly smiled at the comment but didn't retort. "So have you tested it out? I'd like to know what it can do."

"I tested it right after they put it on. It moves easily, has some newer systems that I didn't get to fully explore but I think will be useful, and it's not that different from moving in the mark IV. Though it does have one big improvement." John moved his hand to run over his arm and the energy shield shimmered.

"Energy shields?" Will asked, a hint of excitement to his voice. "Like the Elites have?" John nodded and let his hands fall to his side. "Almost seems unfair to give us an advantage like that. The Covenant won't stand a chance."

After testing it out I think that it will give us an edge for Red Flag," John admitted. "We'll be far away from proper medical help so a shield between us and them might minimize injuries and I think it will open new strategic options." He'd thought about what new options he'd have in combat and the more he thought of the armor the more he liked it. Fred's strikes would be stronger, Linda would probably find a way to make the targeting system make her even more accurate, and no sniper would ever be able to get a beat on Kelly every again. It put his mind at ease at least a little."

"So you think that some armor is going to give us an advantage in a mission with no intel, against a mass of enemies that we have no idea how to predict, on enemy ships, and on the enemy home world? That's crazy," Kelly said as she set her hands on her hips. John didn't know what to say, and he couldn't really argue against her. It was sort of crazy to think that armor would turn the tide in a mission that had so much against them. "Unfortunately for the both of us I like crazy. Get me a set of that armor and let's take down a Covenant home world."

John couldn't help but smile, pleased by her enthusiasm. Though John was fairly sure that with or without the armor Kelly would support any optimism he showed. He made a note to be sure that she got her armor in the first group. "The armors not all we're going to have. I also met the tech expert that we'll be taking with us."

"How big of a snag is that going to cause?" Fred asked.

"It shouldn't cause any." John moved away from the group and to a terminal. The screen lit up and Cortana's avatar appeared. "This is our tech expert."

The Spartans gathered around the screen, curious. "Hello, it's nice to finally meet you all. My name is Cortana and I'll be helping you hack and control Covenant systems. I'm outfitted with all of the best UNSC programing for code breaking so I should be able to get into anything we come across."

"That's good, it means that we won't have to have a soldier out of combat to run a program to get into doors or into ships," Fred concluded. "That means one more soldier that can be fighting rather than a target, and it means we don't have a ONI tech that we'd have to have a soldier babysit."

"Maybe we do stand a bit more of a chance than we did the other day. Hopefully it will be enough," James commented. "How long until we all get a suit of armor like that?"

"As soon as you can get it," John answered. "I want everyone to get used to wearing the armor as quickly as possible. It's similar to the Mark IV but it's not exactly the same."

"Well then I'm done working out for the day. I'm going to see about getting myself a suit of that." James smiled and turned to move out of the gym.

"I have to say it seems impressive. Though I think I'll want to read up a bit on the specs before we go into combat. How much heat can it stand, how much pressure can it take, and what sort of support systems it has in it." Will seemed eager but understandably cautious about going into combat with a suit he knew nothing for sure about.

"I'll have to get a suit and see if I need to adjust for the targeting system," Linda announced. "I'll get on that right away, Master Chief. Wouldn't want my aim to be off when we're surrounded by enemies and you're counting on me." She smiled and turned to follow James out of the gym, Will following behind her.

"I think that maybe we do stand a bit of a chance," Fred admitted. "Well more of a chance, though it's still going to be a hard fight." He smiled slightly. "I don't envy you at a time like this. Though I should get a suit of that armor. Maybe you'll humor me again Kelly and let me helplessly try to hit you while you lower your speed to thirty percent of your actual reflexes."

"Well if this armor is so great maybe I'll have to lower it to ten percent so you can stand a chance," Kelly joked back. Fred smiled and looked to John. "I'll be ready for the fight when it comes." He nodded and moved out of the gym.

John looked to Kelly who was just staring at him. "You will have to adjust your movements for the increased reaction," John informed Kelly. She was the lone Spartan in the room with him now, though he was aware that Cortana was still there as well so he'd have to be careful of his words.

"It just looks so bulky. Are you sure that it won't get in the way of a full range of movement?" Kelly reached out but withdrew her hand when she touched the energy shield. "That feels odd."

"It can be turned off," John assured her. "Movement isn't constricted. Anything I can do outside of armor I can do in this armor."

"I can think of one thing you can't do while in armor." Kelly countered, smiling slightly. John knew what she was talking about but as he was aware Cortana was listening so he couldn't respond the way he wanted to. Kelly's smile fell a bit when he didn't flirt back as she was hoping and John felt bad about it. He'd have to find a time later when he could spend some private time with Kelly. "I'll be adjusted to the difference in no time, Chief." She turned and left the room, leaving John alone.

"I don't know if I made a good impression. They didn't seem to really talk to me enough to get to know me." Cortana sounded a bit disappointed.

"They didn't show any disapproval so they approve," John corrected. "None of them voiced any concerns about you being a part of the team, which his approval. They're more focused on the armor because that's what's separating us from injury. They know you'll do your job so they're focused on doing their job," John explained. "Trust me, there's no problem."

"Well they did seem nice enough." Cortana's image on the screen crossed her arms. "You and Kelly seem close."

John frowned, having hoped that the AI wouldn't have picked up on how familiar he and Kelly were with each other. "Kelly is my best friend. I've known her since the first day of training so we are close." He considered that maybe she was asking these questions just to judge his brain activity when faced with different subjects. He didn't like the idea that she would experiment on him. "I should go see that they all get their armor."

"I'll alert the techs that they should prepare the armor and check up on the other aspects of the mission," Cortana said. John nodded and moved toward the exit of the gym. He'd go and see that his soldiers got their armor and so he could get feedback on any of their concerns or questions.


	213. Regulations

**Pairing: Palmer/Lasky**

**Title: Regulations**

_Infinity_ was a mess after having crashed inside the shield world. The ship's AI was down because of the damage, and the reports Commander Palmer was getting showed that they were going to be stuck for a while. From what she'd heard they were being held in place by a gravity well, and they were prepping scouting teams to search for its location. Sarah was organizing the Spartans on the ship, but that was basically set. She had teams assigned to each section - surveying teams, scouting groups, and teams preparing for an assault on the gravity well when they found it.

She caught sight of a single man that was out of place among the crowd of Spartans. He was shorter than the Spartans, and was simply wearing a combat uniform. Sarah supposed he was just here to check out how things were running after the crash. She turned her attention back to the tablet with the assignments on it. She froze as she spotted a new name on one of the scouting teams. She cursed under her breath and moved through the crowd to the out-of-place man.

Sarah Palmer was not an easy person to miss. She wore white armor, contrary to the gray armor of most of the other Spartans; Spartans moved out of her way as she walked, and currently she had an annoyed aura around her that sent them out of the way twice as fast. The officer moved toward her as she neared, smiling at first at her approach but it became a slight frown as he realized she was irritated.  
"Spartan?" he asked, hesitant.

"You are not leaving this ship," she asserted in a low voice. She was ten inches taller than him, so she had to lean down so he could hear her. "Go back to the bridge."

"Sorry, but I'm assigned to one of the teams scouting for the gravity well. I'm getting onto that Pelican and heading out to search for it." He motioned to a nearby drop ship. "Don't worry, I'm armed." He patted the pistol at his side.

"I did not approve you heading out with the Spartans," Sarah pointed out. "I'm not letting you go out there with no intel on what kind of enemies there are, on a planet that just caused the UNSC's largest and most sophisticated ship to crash, and with Covenant troops in the area. That pistol isn't going to save you and you know it, _Commander_." She emphasized the last word to try to assert the chain of command.

"Well, _Spartan_, I have clearance from the Captain to head out so I'm going. Why is there a problem? Don't you trust your Spartans to protect me?" That crossed a line for Sarah and she shot him a dirty look. The Commander sighed and leaned a bit closer to her. "I'll be fine, Sarah. It's not a big deal. Don't worry."

"Tom, we have no idea what's out there. You should be on the bridge, helping the Captain, not going into the field to play soldier." That annoyed Tom and he frowned at her, visibly unhappy. "Tom, I know you're an officer but that's not the same as a front line soldier. You are not capable of being on a scouting team and the Spartans will only have to protect you if something goes wrong. There's no reason to put yourself in danger."

Tom didn't reply right away. "No, we don't know all of what's out there, but we do know that the Master Chief is out there. I want to do my part to help him, and I feel useless on the bridge."

"You and your stupid obsession with that man," Sarah grumbled. She'd found out early on about the level of admiration and interest Tom had in the Spartan II. Sarah didn't understand it but she knew she couldn't stop him. Sarah let out an annoyed sigh and could see that Lasky was going to stand his ground, but was just trying to get her on his side. "Just worry about making sure the Spartans are sent to the right places, I'll find the gravity well so they know where to go."

Tom moved a bit toward her but stopped and moved back. She understood the gesture, that he wanted to reassure her in some way but any action might be taken the wrong way by the crowd of Spartans. It wasn't that they hid their relationship, but the both of them tried to remain professional in situations like this. She could see it on his face that he wasn't going to change his mind, no matter what she said. Even with her height and her strength. It was hard to intimidate a man who knew at home she had a stuffed penguin she cuddled with at night. Tom, seeing that she wasn't going to relent, turned and walked toward the Pelican. Sarah watched him to for a couple seconds before she grabbed an assault rifle and clipped it onto her back. Sarah moved onto the Pelican behind Tom. He looked to her as she moved to stand beside him. "What?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"What are you doing?" Lasky asked.

"Someone's going to have to watch your ass if you're planning on tossing yourself out in to combat for no good reason, right after we came out of cryo. I'll protect you, and the Spartans can protect me from being killed from protecting you." Tom opened his mouth to argue but Sarah turned away from him. "Shut up."

Silence settled for a few seconds before Lasky spoke. "Where's your helmet?" he asked, glancing over to her unhelmeted head.

"It's in the labs being upgraded. But that's a twenty minute trip and we don't have the time to waste." Sarah didn't look at him, staring out the back of the drop ship.

"Spartan regulations state that in a combat situation a soldier should keep their helmet on at all times," Lasky commented. "If a Spartan doesn't have a helmet they really shouldn't be in combat."

"Regulations also say an XO needs to be present on a ship in case the Captain is killed or becomes incapacitated." Sarah turned to look at the man beside her. "Unfortunately, the _Infinity_ has an XO that doesn't seem to recognize that regulation and is set on being stupid and putting himself in danger. So regulations are going to have to be broken to insure that he doesn't trip on a rock and break his skull open."

"I'm not made of glass," Tom complained as he took a seat. "I'm not going to shatter if a strong wind hits me." Sarah moved over to stand before him, causing him to have to bend his head back to be able to look at her face. "It's just a scouting mission, no danger."

Sarah bit back her instinctive response that every mission was dangerous. Even supply missions or humanitarian missions weren't really safe. She decided to go with the less threatening response. "If it's so safe I shouldn't need my helmet." Tom still looked displeased with her and it was starting to annoy her. "Don't give me that look, Tom. This isn't any normal situation. _Infinity_ was just pulled out of space by a shield world, crashed, some odd orb is hovering outside, and there are Covenant out there. You're being reckless and putting yourself in danger so don't you dare get mad at me for trying to protect you from yourself." Lasky frowned and crossed his arms. "Shut up," Sarah muttered.

Tom looked to the rear of the Pelican, checking to see if their team had arrived. "I'd just like for you to trust me as a soldier."

"I'd do that, if you weren't an officer. If you want to command _Infinity_ I'd back you, but this is not the same. We have no idea what the enemies down there are capable of, and if this thing gets shot down then who's going to carry your ass back to the med bay? It's not like there's only going to be a moment of combat and everything will be fine. Being shot down means a long walk back with a lot of danger. How well are you going to do with your condition? The fact is you're not a front line soldier, that's not where you belong; but I have a duty to be sure you don't get yourself killed because you can't accept that."

Tom's gaze fell to the floor, dejected. Sarah moved and sat down in the seat beside him. "You know well enough that everyone has a part to play, yours isn't a combat role."

"I just hate that you always have to protect me. I'm an adult, a man, and I can protect myself," Tom asserted.

"Upset that a woman has to protect you?" Sarah asked, but Tom didn't reply. "Is it really that big of a deal to you that I'm protecting you?"

"I just…" Lasky paused, rubbing the back of his neck, but stopping when he noticed the motion. "I just don't want you to think me weak, like I have to be protected. Is it too much to want to prove myself?"

Sarah had heard this before, and she'd never faulted Tom for it before. She had to guess it was hard to accept having a lover that was so much stronger physically and proved it regularly in combat. "I've never seen you as weak, Tom. Not all strength is physical." Sarah leaned to the side enough for her shoulder to touch his. "You have a condition that makes going into cryo difficult, but you still serve on a UNSC ship despite the pain it causes you."

Tom lifted his head from Sarah's shoulder armor. "You would do the same thing," he countered. Sarah really couldn't argue against that, because it was true. As long as she was able she'd continue to fight, no matter what pain it caused her. Not that she was going to admit that to Tom.

Sarah didn't have to reply as the marines and Spartans that were assigned to the mission entered the Pelican. They looked at her, hesitant, but didn't protest. Sarah settled in and waited for them to launch, hoping that Tom was right and that things wouldn't go wrong.


	214. Carving

**Pairing:John/Kelly**

**Title: Carving**

John set the bluish-purple pumpkins on the table, making sure the paper under them was covering the tabletop completely. Judging from every video that he'd watched about it, he knew this was going to be messy. He set out the knives that were all child-safe and a few sharper knives so John could do detail work if he had to. He moved out to the living room where Kelly was sitting on the couch with Sam by her side, watching a scary movie. John could see that Sam was scared but he was trying to look brave in front of his mother. He was curled up against Kelly's side and was trying not to cover his eyes. John was sure he'd have nightmares later, and he could expect to be sleeping with Sam between him and Kelly.

"Everything is set up," John announced. Sam sprang off the couch and dashed into the kitchen, trying to get away from the film. John looked to Kelly as she stood from the couch. "Why were you watching a movie that scared him?"

"I offered to turn it off three times and he refused to let me. I'm telling you, he's as proud and stubborn as you were as a kid." Kelly shook her head at the memory of their training days. "Neither of you are willing to admit defeat."

"You never admitted defeat," John countered. He looked back into the living room and to the other woman still sitting on the floor. "Are you going to join us, Fire?" Anastasia turned toward him and John motioned toward the kitchen. "It's one of those family things. Good family things." Anastasia silently stood and moved into the kitchen. She was quiet but she was still taking part, which was enough. John hoped she'd open up more over the course of the night as Sam seemed to have some trouble understanding Anastasia's reluctance, or her not understanding some basic family traditions.

Anastasia took a seat at the table beside Sam while John moved to sit opposite her, beside Kelly. "So what do I carve?" Anastasia asked.

John was going to answer but Sam answered first. "You carve whatever you want. A scary face, a silly face, or a picture. As long as it will look like something when you put a candle inside. I'm going to make a scary face." Anastasia nodded and looked back to her pumpkin. "What are you going to carve?" Sam asked her.

"I don't know," Anastasia admitted. "I'll have to give it a bit of thought since I'll only have one shot."

"Use the markers to draw it out ahead of time," John advised, grabbing one of the white markers and holding it out to his sister. "That way you can see how it will look before you make the first cut." Anastasia took the marker and turned her attention back to the pumpkin.

John set to work on his own pumpkin, trying at first for a scary face but after screwing a few things up he decided to make a silly face instead. It still didn't turn out well by the time he'd finished, but he hoped it would look better carved. John glanced over at Kelly's and could see that she'd drawn a fairly good silly face, certainly better than his. "How does yours look, Sammy?" His son struggled to turn the pumpkin but just barely managed it so John could see the scary face. He'd drawn sharp teeth, angular eyes, and a triangular nose in the center. "Terrifying," John informed his son, causing Sam to beam with pride.

"I don't know, it might be too scary," Kelly spoke up. "It might scare away anyone that comes to get candy."

"Well only the bravest can get candy from us, so they'll have to face my pumpkin if they want to get anything," Sam asserted. "I wouldn't be afraid of it, so anyone that's scared of a pumpkin doesn't deserve candy."

"Seems reasonable to me. Candy should be earned, not just given." John turned to Anastasia who was staring at her own pumpkin. "What did you draw, Fire?" Anastasia looked up from her work and spun her pumpkin around for him. John was surprised by what she'd drawn. Anastasia had drawn a ferocious looking wolf head that was actually quite detailed and artistically beautiful. He had no idea that Anastasia had any artistic skill, and he hadn't really expected it.

John must have been quiet for too long because Anastasia frowned. "If you think it looks bad you can say so. I can take it." She seemed to brace herself for criticism.

"That is so awesome," Sam nearly shouted. "That's the coolest wolf I've ever seen. You're awesome!" He'd leaned over the table to get a better look at it. "It's going to put all our pumpkins to shame."

"It's not that good," Anastasia replied. "It's a really old design and it looks horrible now but it's the only thing that I could come up with." Anastasia turned the pumpkin back around, as though trying to hide her creation.

"It looks beautiful, Fire," John assured her. "It explains why my creation looks so bad." John turned his pumpkin around so she could see the face he'd drawn. Anastasia raised an eyebrow and Sam cracked up into laughter. "Seems you got all the art skill in the family."

"Are you sure you're going to be able to carve it?" Sam asked Anastasia. "I mean it looks like it's going to be hard to cut out with how thin the lines are."

"I'm good with a knife," was Anastasia's only response.

"Then maybe you'd like to cut off the top of Sam's pumpkin for him." John held out one of the serrated knives to her, handle facing her. Anastasia stared at it and he realized she didn't know what he meant. "You have to scoop out the insides so first you have to cut off the top." John flipped the knife in his hand and illustrated what he'd seen in the vids. He cut into the top of the pumpkin and cut around in a circle. When he'd made it all the way around he pulled the blade out and tugged on the stem. The top popped off with a bit of force and John looked at the blue internals and the violet seeds. He lifted it up until it broke loose and he could set it on the paper beside his pumpkin. "Like that...I think."

He held the knife out again and Anastasia took it, looking to her own pumpkin. "Wait," Sam said, grabbing his aunt's arm. "Don't do yours first. If you do it wrong maybe you won't be able to make your carving. If you do it wrong on mine I can make a new face but I don't want yours ruined."

Anastasia shrugged and slid Sam's pumpkin over so she could reach it better. She stabbed the knife into it and started to saw her way around. John just watched, keeping his mouth shut and not correcting that she was cutting a bit uneven on one side. Anastasia finished and pulled the top off and set it to the side, placing the pumpkin in front of Sam. The little boy was grinning, and peering inside. "I can do yours," Anastasia offered, looking to Kelly.

The female Spartan II smiled and pushed her pumpkin toward the younger woman. "That would be helpful. I'm going to help clean out Sam's pumpkin." Kelly stood and moved around the table, grabbing a spoon, and starting to show Sam how to clean out the inside of the pumpkin and placing the seeds in a pile. John grabbed a spoon of his own and started to scoop out the center of his pumpkin. By the time they finished cleaning out all four, there was a large clump of seeds like a gross centerpiece on the table and they'd all set to carving into their pumpkins.

John stared at the eye he'd just carved out in disgust. Somehow he'd carved it even worse than he'd drawn it, and the mouth he'd cut out didn't look much better either. He wasn't sure how he'd managed that. Kelly laughed beside him and John frowned at her. She was trying to cover her mouth but she couldn't hold in her amusement at his lack of skill. John leaned over to look at hers and frowned more when he saw she was cutting hers out just fine. "The scariest part about your pumpkin is going to be the fact that it's so mangled." Kelly stopped holding back her laughter.

John sighed and turned to Sam. "How's your pumpkin coming?"

"It's looking good." Sam turned his pumpkin and John could see that he'd finished one eye and the nose, and it looked better than John's.

John looked to Anastasia who was leaning in close to her own pumpkin and cutting carefully with her blade. "I'd ask you how yours looks but I don't think I need to feel any worse about my own pumpkin." Anastasia looked up from her work and put her knife down. She spun her pumpkin around and he could see that she had carved out half of the wolf image and was carefully shaving the lines to make it perfect. John sighed, realizing that his pumpkin was going to look horrible next to all of the others.

"It can't look that bad," Sam assured him. He spun the pumpkin around so that his son could see it and a look of surprise appeared on Sam's face. He clamped his hands over his mouth but John could hear him laughing.

"If you disfigure it a bit more you can make it into a car accident victim." John scowled at Anastasia's comment but Sam burst out laughing. "Or you could stab it over and over, cover it in blood, and call it a murder victim. Or you could burn it a bit, wrap it in cloth, and just call it dead."

"I appreciate you confidence." John turned his pumpkin back around and returned to trying to cut out the remaining parts. It didn't get any better. He seemed to have some trouble making a straight line or doing the turns properly. By the time he finished he was starting to consider Anastasia's suggestions or maybe turning it around so it was just a pumpkin, the face no longer visible.

Kelly finished hers and started to put the pile of seeds into a bowl. "After we light our jack-o-lanterns we'll clean off these seeds, let them dry, and tomorrow you can go down to the park and feed the birds."

John watched as Sam climbed down from his chair and helped his mother as she grabbed his pumpkin and carried it out. John waited until they'd gone out of the room before he turned to Anastasia. "Can you please help me fix this thing?"

Anastasia shrugged but put down her blade. "I think my suggestions were pretty good." John slumped his shoulders a bit to show his disappointment. His sister sighed and stood from her seat and moved around the table. She sat down in Kelly's seat and raised an eyebrow. "So you took my murder victim advice."

"I'm serious, Fire, I want to fix it." John looked to the uneven circles that were his pumpkin's eyes and the oddly angled mouth. "I don't know how I screwed it up."

"You carved to fast," Anastasia stated. "You have to take your time with turns or start small and shave them larger so you have some room." Sam ran back into the room and John could hear Kelly walking into the house behind him. Anastasia snapped up the kid and lifted him up so he could see John's pumpkin. "What do you think of that?" Sam laughed, and although John was happy to hear his son laughing, he still wished it wasn't at his creation. "I think you made a fine silly face. It seems to make children laugh."

John resigned himself to accepting his jack-o'-lantern the way it was; at least it could pass as though he'd tried to make it look silly. John picked up his pumpkin and followed Anastasia as she carried her own pumpkin outside. Sam and Kelly had placed the first of the pumpkins on the window sill in the front of the house. John placed his beside Sam's and Anastasia put hers beside his. Sam came running into the room with Kelly behind him holding her own pumpkin.

Sam pushed a chair over toward the window and climbed up so he was level with the line of pumpkins. "You should go outside so you can see if they look good," he said, looking toward his parents.

"Can you help him light them?" Kelly asked, looking to Anastasia. The Spartan IV nodded and Kelly handed her a lighter. Kelly then took John's hand and pulled him out of the room and out the front door. She led him away from the house, to where they could see the pumpkins sitting in the window. John watched and looked for the lighter to flick on, a bit uneasy when he didn't see it right away. He could see in the darkness that Anastasia was facing Sam and she seemed to be talking, but he didn't know about what. "She seemed to have enjoyed herself," Kelly observed. "I knew Sam would, but with how reluctant she seemed to join us earlier tonight she really seemed to like it."

"Family activities are still a difficult thing for her to embrace," John admitted. "I'm happy she's warming up to Sam. She seemed reluctant at first, but she is doing much better with him." John had been worried at first that Anastasia was just going to try ignoring Sam. "I think our family is doing well."

"Are you going to introduce Fred and Linda to her?" Kelly asked as her arm wrapped around John's waist and she leaned against his side.

"Not until she's ready," John answered. He didn't think she was quite yet, as Anastasia was still getting used to Kelly and Sam. The lighter finally lit up and John watched as Anastasia held the flame to a candle Sam was holding. The first one went into Sam's pumpkin and John smiled at the wide grin on Sam's face as he placed it inside. The next candle went into John's, and he was embarrassed by how it looked just as bad with the light in it.

"Maybe next you should just scoop the pumpkins out and leave the actual carving to everyone else." John looked to Kelly and could see that she was trying hard not to laugh. "I'll admit, it's fun to find things you aren't good at."

"I'd make a promise to show you something I am good at later…but someone let our son watch a horror film, so that would be inappropriate." John smirked slightly and Kelly pouted at him, playing up her disappointment. The next candle went into Anastasia's pumpkin, and John groaned as it made his look even worse beside her precisely carved picture. Kelly's was the last and John looked to his wife. "Could you stop showing me up in front of my sister?"

"Nope," Kelly replied happily. John smiled at her and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. He really didn't mind her showing him up this time. She was better than him at some things but he knew he was better at others, and being a family was a team game, not a free-for-all competition.

Sam came running out of the house toward them, Anastasia moving much slower and calmer behind him. Sam turned and looked back at the window, grinning. "They look great!" He was excited and John was happy to hear him enjoying the holiday so far. "I can't wait to go trick-or-treating. I can't wait for all the candy. Are you excited, aunt Ana?" Sam beamed up at his aunt.

"You are going to join us for trick-or-treating, aren't you?" John asked.

"I don't know," Anastasia answered, indecisive. "I don't have a costume, and I might not even be around." Anastasia turned away from them all, staring out into the darkness. It seemed they were pushing a bit too much, but John didn't want her to miss out on the most exciting part of the holiday. Not that he really had a right to force it on her. He couldn't remember what trick-or-treating was like himself.

"If you can come with us to walk Sam around while he trick-or-treats we'll be sure to have a costume for you," Kelly assured her. "We may not be getting candy, but John and I are also going to dress up."

"If I'm around then," Anastasia replied, vaguely. It was as much of a commitment that John could hope to get from his sister. "Don't really care about candy, though."

"Well how about we all head inside, as it's past at least one young man's bead time." Kelly looked to their son.

Sam looked back at his parents. "Is it past your bedtime already, daddy?" The young boy grinned and made a tsk-tsk noise. "Bad daddy."

"You caught me," John decided to play along. "I was hoping that no one would notice but now that I've been found out I better get to bed, or your mom will lock me out of the bedroom and I'll have nowhere to sleep."

"You could take my bed," Sam offered. "I just won't go to sleep. I'll stay up all night." John could tell Sam was excited, as though he'd found a secret way to not have to go to bed.

"Oh I don't think so." Kelly moved over and before Sam could run she'd scooped him up. "You still have a bedtime as well. If your father doesn't make it to bed in time he'll have to just suffer the consequences." Kelly moved toward the house, Sam still trying to argue his way out of going to bed.

John turned to his sister who was staring at the jack-o-lanterns in the window. "It would be nice if you came out on Halloween with is, Fire. I understand if it's too much to ask but…I'd like it."

"I don't know, John. I just can't say right now," was Anastasia's reply. She crossed her arms, an action he'd identified as her bracing for him to be upset, even when he clearly wasn't.

"If you just decide not to that's all right. As long as you come by for the holidays at the end of the year." Anastasia looked away from him and John took a step closer. "Please?" he asked, sincere.

"I'll try," Anastasia assured him. "That's just a long time from now and Crimson is being given bigger and more dangerous missions. I just don't want to make a promise."

John moved over and pulled his sister to him, hugging her. "You'll be home for the holidays," he assured her. Anastasia just reluctantly let him show his affection until he let her go.

"Just go to sleep. It's past your bedtime…unless you're hoping to get in trouble so Kelly will punish you." Anastasia smirked as she teased him, causing John to blush slightly. He always felt awkward when Anastasia made any reference to his personal life with Kelly. It just felt strange to talk to anyone about it, other than Kelly of course. "I'm going to head back to the barracks. Hopefully they're not still awake, because I don't want to answer questions about where I've been late at night."

John nodded and moved toward his house, hoping that Kelly didn't need help getting Sam to bed. When he got inside Sam was brushing his teeth in his pajamas, so Kelly had somehow managed to convince him to go to sleep. John never understood how she managed that so easily. He'd had to learn how to convince Sam to do things while she just had a natural touch to it. It was probably why Sam never seemed to think of her as being gone, because when she came home she slid so easily into the position of a mother. John moved on down the hallway to the master bedroom. He stopped when he turned the handle and found that it was locked. It took him a moment to remember Kelly's threat. "Really?" He asked through the door. John could hear laughter through the wood. "It's not funny."

"Not as funny as your carving," Kelly countered quietly from behind the locked door.

John frowned at the insult, but instead of replying to it, he leaned in closer to the door. "You know you're wasting precious time before Sam has nightmares. We could be using it much better." John listened to the silence on the other side and smiled as he heard movement, followed by the door unlocking.


	215. Welcome Aboard

**Pairing: Lasky/Palmer**

**Title: Welcome aboard**

Sarah Palmer looked around her new room aboard _Infinity_, assessing what she had. She didn't mind having her own quarters, but it was rather sparsely furnished. She had a bed, a footlocker, and a terminal, but that was about it. She moved over to the bed and sat down, not sure what to do with her time now. There was a knock on her door and Sarah cursed, sure it was one of the other Spartans or Jun coming to scold her for not asking permission to take her armor. She stood and moved to the door, surprised by the man on the other side. Commander Lasky stood tall in her doorway, hands clasped behind his back. He had an aura of confidence about him, and Sarah had to admit he was rather cute - with a sort of boyish charm to his features. Still, he was a higher in rank than her so she snapped to attention. "Commander."

"At ease, Spartan," Lasky said with an amused smile. There was something about the way he smiled that made Sarah want to smile as well.

Sarah relaxed and leaned against the frame of her doorway, crossing her arms. "What can I do for you, Commander?" She smiled a bit as she noticed that he had to look up to be able to speak to her and look her in the eye.

"I wanted to officially welcome you aboard _Infinity_ and offer to take you on a tour." Despite having to look up, Lasky was still extremely confident. His gaze fell for just a second but it was obvious to her that he was looking her over.

"Are you offering a tour to anyone else?" Sarah asked, knowing the answer already.

"No one else made an impression like you," Lasky answered. Sarah smiled at the line, impressed with his charm and self-assurance. It wasn't smug confidence, but rather a sort of relaxed, innocent confidence. His smile was pleasant, but she could see that he was watching carefully for her response.

"Well, I could use a tour. And I suppose you know your way around a ship." Sarah stood up straight and stepped out of her room. Lasky's reaction felt slow to her, something she was still getting used to after the augmentations. He stepped back but there was a noticeable hesitation before he moved out of her personal space. "Where to first?"

"I'll show you around the local areas. Gym, lockers, cafeteria, places you haven't been told about, and the showers." Lasky smiled and it was becoming increasingly clear to Sarah that he was flirting with her. She didn't expect him to be so open about it, but maybe he thought he was being more subtle.

Sarah flashed him a smirk of her own before she flirted back. "Don't even talk to me about showers. This thing is so tight I don't know how I'll ever get it off." Sarah ran her hands down her sides and she was pleased to see that he couldn't help but look. "It's like a second skin, and the zipper on the back is so hard to get open."

"Well if you need help later, I'm sure I could assist you in getting out of that body suit." Lasky let his eyes roam one last time before he started to move down the hallway. "How about we start with the closest facilities?" Sarah nodded and followed him. They made their way to the gym and stood in the doorway. "The Spartan area has special gyms with increased gravity to compensate for the enhanced strength of Spartans," Lasky explained. "It has almost every form of training equipment that you could desire, even a track for running."

Sarah stepped into the gym and she could feel the slight increase in gravity. She turned her back to Lasky as she moved over to a rack of weights and picked up a dumbbell. "I'm sure you don't use this gym often." Sarah chose another one of the weights and lifted it up, testing it. "Do you use the track though?"

"I do use it fairly regularly. I like to keep my cardio up," Lasky answered. "Do you jog?"

"Jogging isn't my preferred way to work out my heart." Sarah started to lift the weight, examining how it felt. She could tell that the increased gravity did indeed make up for her increased strength.

"Well I don't know any other cardio workouts other than running. Maybe you could teach me your preferred method." Lasky took a few steps closer while Sarah curled the weight. She could feel his eyes on her back, watching her muscles as she moved. "How about I show you to the cafeteria?" Sarah shrugged, set the weight down, and let Lasky lead her away. They made their way through the hallways, Lasky rattling off specs of the ship that seemed to fascinate him, but Sarah wasn't really interested. She did like hearing the way he talked about the specifications, though. He was obviously impressed with the ship and Sarah liked hearing the excitement in his voice.

The cafeteria was larger than Sarah had expected, but then again it was supposed to hold thousands of Spartans. There were staff members working, but there were far too few to be the full number of employees in the food department. Sarah wasn't looking forward to how noisy the room would be when it was full of Spartans. Maybe she'd be able to eat her meals in her quarters to avoid the annoyance. "Just wait a moment and I'll get us something to snack on while we tour." Sarah nodded and watched Lasky walk away, her eyes traveling to inappropriate places as she watched him.

"Hey, Palmer, what are you doing here?" Sarah looked to her side and spotted Spartan Davis, who was walking toward her.

"The Commander's giving me a tour of the ship," Sarah answered. Her gaze turned back to Lasky as he talked to one of the workers.

"A private, personal tour?" Davis asked as he stopped beside her. "Are you going to screw him? At the very least give him a kiss goodnight." Sarah glared at him but the other Spartan only smiled. "Come on, you know you want to. Bet he's fun in the sack, maybe into some freaky stuff."

"Shut up, Davis," Sarah snapped. She was having a fairly good time with Lasky, and this was relaxing after all the trouble she'd been through recently. The last thing she wanted was for Davis to ruin her fun. "Get out of here, the tour's fully booked."

"Don't want to share him?" Davis teased.

"Why, thinking of making a move on him? I don't think you're man enough for him," Sarah shot back.

"You're certainly man enough for him," the male Spartan countered.

"I'm more man than you are," Sarah retorted. "Now get going, before you're late for your manicure." Lasky started to move toward them and Sarah pushed Davis toward the door a bit.

"Fine, I'll let you get back to getting yourself some Navy-ass. Just remember, dogs belong at the foot of the bed, not under the covers with you," Davis said quietly.

"Idiot. Marines are called devil-dogs, Navy are squids." Sarah glanced toward Lasky who was moving between the tables. "Though I bet he would lay on a couch with me and put his head in my lap. And probably would only be cuter curled up on my bed." Davis held up his hands, relenting, and turned to walk away.

Lasky returned, glancing toward Davis as he walked out of the room. "Is everything all right?" The confusion was written on his face and he looked a bit worried. Lasky frowned in Davis' direction, seeming displeased. "Was he giving you a hard time?"

"He's just jealous that he's not getting a tour," Sarah assured him. "Let's just continue, and don't let his sour attitude ruin it. Did you manage to get anything to snack on?"

"I got…" Lasky reached into his pocket and pulled out a rectangle. "A chocolate bar." He held it out to her, offering her the sweet.

"Why Commander, if I didn't know any better I'd think you're trying to seduce me." Sarah took the bar and carefully unwrapped it.

"I thought the way to a man's heart was through his stomach," Lasky commented. "Didn't know that applied to women too."

"Let's be honest, it's not my heart you're trying to get into," Sarah countered. "Everyone knows that chocolate is the one weakness all women have." She broke off a part of the bar and happily placed it on her tongue, letting it melt in her mouth.

"For all you know, your heart is the only thing I want," Lasky shot back. He paused for a moment and then motioned to one of the doors. "How about I show you how you'll be getting around the ship." Sarah nodded and Lasky lead her out of the cafeteria. They made their way to what looked like a rail station that stretched through the length of the ship. "This is the system we use to get around the ship quicker, as it is a long distance and a lot of people will be moving here and there. Keeps things neat." Lasky stepped onto one of the rail cars and held his hand out to Sarah.

She ignored the hand, but still stepped onto the car. Lasky took a seat and she sat down beside him. "So this is how everyone is going to get around. But with so many people using it I'd think that walking would still be a better option."

"Well for some it might be," Lasky agreed. "But when you're the second-in-command of the UNSC's largest ship you have some privileges, like priority boarding on one of these things." Lasky leaned a bit toward her. "It might help to also be associated with that second-in-command."

"First chocolate and now you're trying to bribe me with perks. You must really want me in your bed." Sarah bit off another piece of the candy bar and sucked on it as she savored the treat.

"A woman like you, what man wouldn't want her in their bed?" Lasky watched her as she ate, causally placing an arm over the back of the connected seats. "How about I point out things to you as we ride?" Lasky gave her descriptions of some of the other decks as they passed them by; pointing out the labs, the quarters for all the different kinds of troops _Infinity_ would be housing, the vehicles in the hanger, and rattled off the weapons in the armory. "And that's the open garden area," he said as he pointed to a place that looked like it could have been actual land, not a section of plants on a spaceship. "Doesn't serve any combat purpose…but if, say, a Spartan and an officer wanted to have secret meet ups where they wouldn't likely be found, it could be useful."

"Seems like a waste," Sarah muttered, for a moment forgetting the man beside her. "Hope the rebels don't see it or they'll be pissed. War resources going to making a pretty garden, when refuges are still struggling to survive."

"I don't really know why we have it," Lasky agreed, trying to pull her attention back to their conversation. Sarah looked to him and she could see he was concerned. "There's also a large holochamber that the Spartans will be able to use to train. It's not all a waste of money, just that stupid thing." He motioned toward the garden.

Sarah felt bad for the turn the conversation had taken. They were having fun and here she'd brought down the mood. She leaned a bit toward his side and smiled as best she could. "I wonder what sort of things that a holochamber can do. I bet that if a certain officer really wanted to sweep a woman off her feet he could take her there, show her her heart's desire, and she'd fall right into his arms."

Lasky smiled, happy to be returning to lighter subject matters. "Some officers might need to use crutches like that when trying to sway a woman. I'd prefer to just be honest with her, maybe give her a bit of a treat to warm her up, show off a bit to get her attention, and then convince her to give me a try. After a night with me, I'm sure she'll be more than happy to come warm my sheets."

"You're pretty sure of yourself," Sarah observed with an amused smirk. Lasky seemed to have a wealth of confidence that never ran dry, a good quality in a man. "Do you have what it takes to back those words up?"

"Let me warm your bed and I'll show you I do," Lasky retorted. The rail came to a stop and he stood, smiling down at her. "This concludes our tour. If you'd like to tip your tour guide they take phone numbers, passionate kisses with plenty of tongue, or wild rolls in the sheets."

Sarah stood and couldn't help but laugh at his comment. "Sometimes you are an embarrassment." She shook her head as she walked off of the rail car with Lasky following her. "You should be glad that I'm the only one that heard that."

"It wasn't that bad," Lasky defended. "Sure not the most high class flirting but it was funny. Women always say they want a man with a sense of humor."

"Well you do make me laugh," Sarah admitted as she got control of her laughter. She topped at her door and turned to the officer. "This was fun, we should do it again."

"Like every time that you're aboard _Infinity_?" Lasky's smile fell a bit and he looked toward the floor. "They still don't know about us, do they?"

"No, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. You know I like to keep my private life out of my military one." Sarah let out a small sigh. "None of them have any idea and I'm not about to blurt it out. I'm not going to deny it either if they ask me straight up."

"I just wish you'd said something sooner, instead of surprising me like that. I had no idea you were going to be stationed aboard _Infinity_. There's probably forms to fill out, and we could have set rules on what's okay and who we want to know what." Lasky let out a frustrated breath.

"It wasn't what I had expected. I thought Jun would show us our area and then I'd have time to go find you and tell you myself. I didn't expect him to introduce us to you, or any of the other things that happened." Sarah smiled softly. "Glad to know that you're steady in a tough situation like that. You didn't freak out and you took charge."

"And you came up with a crazy plan that pit you against a woman that, from what I read in the report, started to strangle you and could have killed you." Fear and worry were evident in the Commander's voice. "That armor can't protect your neck from a woman who without armor is just as strong as you in armor."

Sarah hit the controls on the door to her room and stepped in. "I'm fine, Commander, so you don't need to worry. Besides, if you really wanted to stop me you could have. You could have ordered me not to go, but you didn't."

"On what grounds could I have objected?" Lasky asked. "I don't think you would have been okay with me denying your plan because I care about you and don't want to see you hurt." His hands moved as though to reach out to her but stopped and moved back to his side. "I love you, Sarah." There was something sad in his voice, like he'd just realized the mortality of human life.

"I know you do," Sarah said before gently cupping Lasky's cheek and leaning down, pressing her lips to his. It was brief, and she wished she could risk more but they were out in the open too much. "I love you too, Tom."

"If you really do need help with that body suit I'd be more than happy to help tear it off you," Tom offered, glancing behind her to her bed. "You might need a bigger bed."

"If we did that I'd come off looking like a loose woman," Sarah pointed out. The surprise was evident on the Commander's face so she explained. "I wouldn't lie to them and tell them it didn't happen, and they wouldn't ask about the years we've spent together. They'd just assume I slept with you for the hell of it, and then I'd have a ruined record. You know I have a chance to make something of myself as a Spartan, Tom. I can't mess that up."

Lasky nodded and let out a long breath. "I know that you're right, and I don't want to ruin this chance. But when we get home I'm going to rock your world. I'm going to cook you an amazing meal, there will be candles, we'll watch a movie, and then we'll end it in a night of passionate love that will leave you unable to stand."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh for a moment. "I'd break your pelvis."

"You haven't yet," Tom pointed out. He smiled sweetly in a way that made it so Sarah couldn't help but return it. "You should get some rest, Sarah. Taking on a crazed fake Spartan is a tough job."

"I suppose you are correct, Commander." Sarah absently rubbed at her neck where the body suit still hid the bruises from the other woman's hands. "I am a bit tired."

"Have a good rest," Lasky lingered for a moment before he stepped back and allowed Sarah to close the door to her room.

She hated to have to turn Tom down, she was sure he would have showered her in affection but she didn't want to give the other Spartans more fodder than they'd already had. She would make a name for herself, prove herself as a Spartan, and then she'd be able to stand in the open and proudly claim Lasky as her man. But until then she'd just have fun pretending that she didn't know him, and that she was shamelessly flirting with her superior.


	216. Way 5

**Way 5**

**Blurt it out in the middle of an impromptu dance party in the kitchen, as clumsy as your two left feet. When time seems to freeze, hastily tack on "in that shirt" or "when you make your award-winning meatballs" or, if you're feeling particularly brave, "when we do this." **

**Resume dancing and pretend you don't feel her eyes on you the rest of the night.**

Tom really didn't understand who he was supposed to be, but Sarah had assured him their costumes matched. He was wearing a set of blue armor, and Sarah had had told him that he looked like the character he was dressed as, though she hadn't really explained who he was. Sarah was fairly easy to spot as she walked across the room. Not only was she tall, but she was imposing in her black armor that had a single red stripe from her shoulder armor down to her wrist, bordered by smaller white stripes. She also wore contacts that made her iris and pupils glow red, and had painted a broken grid pattern on her face that she'd been very methodical about the placement. She'd even painted it with a special costume paint that glowed slightly when it came in contact with body heat.

Sarah reached him and she held out a plastic cup that he gladly took. He sipped at it and was glad to find it was water. He eyed Sarah's cup but didn't ask her what was in it, not wanting her to think he didn't trust her not to drink. Sarah noticed where he was looking and frowned. "It's water," she snapped. "Don't you trust me at all?"

"Of course I do," Tom tried to assure her. "You know I just worry that I'm not doing enough." They'd had this conversation many times before and Tom didn't want to have to explain it all again, particularly at a party. He just didn't want to have regrets if she did slip and he could have stopped it. Sarah sighed but smiled a bit. "I like it more when you smile. You're scary when you frown, particularly with all that glowy face paint."

"I tried to make it a little smaller than full Renegade to indicate the occasional Paragon choice. The amount of scars you have is represented by the number of Renegade actions you make over Paragon so the scars would be a bit faded from choices like curing the genophage or particular speech options." Tom smiled and Sarah raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked.

"It's nothing; I just like hearing you be passionate about something that's not killing Covenant." There were few things that Sarah showed real passion for other than training, combat, and sex. Really one of the only other things she seemed to have a lot of passion for was video games, which she claimed to play as stress relief.

"There are three things I care about - kicking ass, kickass games, and your sexy ass." Sarah smirked as she leaned back against the wall. "Maybe one of these days I should make you play through that series. They're classics, and the recent remakes are great. You can make all the choices and there are even female characters that you can romance. And the female romances get better sex scene." Tom wasn't so sure that he'd have time for games, but there was an excitement in her voice that made him consider at least try.

"Palmer," Tom turned to look to Maron, the friend of Sarah's who had invited them to the costume party. He was dressed in one of the cookie-cutter Spartan costumes that everyone was wearing. And his outfit looked like crap next to Sarah's. Sarah had had their costumes custom made, and she'd put such detail into her makeup and she'd made some battle scars on her armor that made it unique. "I'm glad you made it. Hopefully parts of that costume come off. We're thinking of doing body shots later."

"Sorry, my Kaidan doesn't drink, and he's the only one putting his mouth on me tonight." Sarah put an arm around Tom's shoulder.

"Well maybe you'll do some shots off of Smith. Herriot says that he's got banging abs. Though I'm not sure if she means they look good, or if she means they make her think about banging." Maron shrugged, indicating he had no idea.

"You know I don't drink, Maron. I've told you several times when you go out to bars after missions. I'm here to enjoy conversation and the company of friends, not get drunk."

Maron held up his hands. "Sorry Palmer, forgot your Navy-pet made you boring. Come on, it's a party."

Sarah scowled at Maron and took a step closer to him. "What have I told you about insulting my man?" Her tone was low and threatening. "Go back to getting drunk off of the belly button lint of sluts that will be passed out by the end of the night." Maron backed down and left without putting up a fight. Sarah relaxed again once he was gone.

"You didn't have to do that," Tom said, feeling bad. This was a party and they were supposed to have fun, not get upset. "He's probably just drunk."

"He's not just drunk. He always gives me a hard time about not drinking…and dating you," Sarah informed him.

"Do they often give you a hard time about dating me?" Tom asked.

"Not always, but they're just jealous. They can honestly take you in a physical fight, so they don't understand why you're better than they are. Their tiny minds can't understand why I like you despite you lacking a perfectly defined body." Tom frowned, suddenly feeling self-conscious of his physique. "Oh, calm down Tom. I don't care that you don't have a perfect body. You have a perfect heart." She smiled at him and leaned over, placing a kiss on his cheek. "That's more important."

Tom smiled and his hand moved to Sarah's side, pulling her just a bit closer. "I love you." The world around him froze as he realized what he'd just said. "Shepard," he quickly added. Sarah smiled but he could tell she was not completely happy. "That is your character's name, right?"

"Yeah, nice job remembering." Sarah stood back up and Tom could tell he'd messed up. His nerves had just failed him with so many people around.

Tom tried to come up with anything that could maybe fix the mood. "How about we get on the dance floor," he suggested.

Sarah laughed and shook her head. "I'm not dancing in this costume, Tom." He frowned, having never had her turn down the opportunity to dance before. "Shepard is known for being a bad dancer. I don't want comments like that all night."

"But you're a great dancer," Tom argued. He reached over and grabbed her wrist, tugging her toward the dance floor.

"Tom…" Sarah complained, but she smiled as he pulled her toward the dancing crowd.

Author's note: This is part 5 of 8 in a series of ways to say I love you. The 4 chapters preceding this one are all in Spartan Love After dark because of some sexual themes that I thought were just too much for this story with its T rating. The rest of the chapters will likely either be split or more likely they'll be in After Dark because Palmer and the way she is blunt just sort of leads to M rated. The ones in this series that are in After Dark don't include actual sex scenes so they aren't that bad.


	217. Way 6

Way 6

**Write her a letter in which the amount of circumnavigating and angst could rival Mr. Darcy's. Debate where to leave it all day-on her pillow?**

**In her coat pocket? **

**Throw it away in frustration, conveniently leaving it face up in the trashcan, her name scrawled on the front in your sloppy handwriting. **

**Let her wonder if you mean it.**

Tom stared at the screen in his hand, not sure what to do with the message he'd finally finished writing. He had re-read the letter to edit it for mistakes and suddenly had second thoughts. The whole thing was sappy and sounded like it had been written by a love-sick puppy. That wasn't how he wanted to sound, that wasn't the kind of love he had for her. He'd used too much flowery language, like he was writing a poem, so it felt unnatural. Tom hit the delete button on the message and sat down on the couch and placed the tablet on the table. He tapped the record button and leaned back in the soft cushions of the couch before he started.

"Dear Sarah." Tom paused as he considered how to start the letter. "I've got a lot of things I want to tell you, but every time I try the words just become impossible." Tom wished that she was there, so he could at least hold her hand as he confessed to her. "You and I have been together for a few years now, and it's way past due that I told you these things. I just want you to know how important you are to me. I worry about you all the time, and at times it's hard to handle. I hate the fear I feel when I've heard your ship was involved in some conflict, and I hold my breath until I can read the list of casualties and see your name isn't on it." Tom started to fidget a bit as he continued. "Yet I always feel calm with you beside me, and it always feels like there's too much room in the house without you. Nothing makes me happier than the smile you give me across the dinner table, or how it feels when you cuddle up to me at night." Tom stood up and started to pace a bit. "You and I just fit together perfectly, and your support has been what's kept me going through the hard times. We've endured some of the most difficult years in human history, and without you maybe I would have faltered - but you're with me, so I'll never have to find out. We've been through it all and I just want you to know…that I love you." Tom tapped the pad to stop the recording.

"Translate to text," he instructed, moving into the kitchen to grab something to drink. He looked through the fridge, selecting a bottle of Sarah's favorite fruit drink. They were going to get groceries soon so he'd just get more to replace it. He shut the door and moved back out to the living room and checked the tablet. The program had finished changing the audio to text. He looked down at the tablet and considered now what to do with the message. He could leave it open on Sarah's desk for her to find, or on her pillow for when she finished her shower that he knew she'd take later. He sat down at the couch and picked the tablet up, trying to decide what to do.

Tom looked to the door as it opened and Sarah moved into the apartment, wearing only her short shorts and a sports bra. Tom had tried to convince her to run in something less revealing, but she'd argued that anything else was too hot. Tom watched her as she moved through the house directly to the bathroom to take a shower as she always did. He looked back to the tablet and started doubting himself. He could send it to her but he was starting to reconsider this form of telling her. It felt distant and dishonest not to say it face-to-face, in person. He hit the delete button, once more wimping out on sending it, because he sure wasn't going to be able to tell her in person. Not yet. He tapped his finger against the side of the tablet, regretting his choice. He opened the trashcan icon in his messaging program and stared at the file he'd just deleted. He sighed and set the tablet down on the table once more and stood up, going back to the kitchen and starting to prepare for dinner.

It was a quarter of an hour later when Sarah finished her shower and Tom was cooking the beef for their dinner. Sarah lay down on the couch and Tom paid little attention, fully focused on the food he was making. When he finished Sarah had turned on the news and Tom put the meat and cooked vegetables all into one bowl. He grabbed two forks and moved out to the living room, setting the bowl on the table. Sarah set the tablet down and grabbed a fork to start eating. Tom picked up the tablet to check over his own email and check for new orders from UNSC Command.

"You've never made this before," Sarah commented, stabbing her fork through a combination of meat and vegetables. "What is it?"

"I got the recipe from another officer. She said her family called it 'Grandma's hidden heart attack'. Though they used more meat than vegetables and they didn't drain off half as much of the grease as I did. I tried to keep it more even." Tom ate his first bite of the dish and chewed slowly as he judged if he did it right.

Sarah reached over and her fingers ran along his hairline, playing slightly with his hair. "I'm really lucky I have you, Tom." Tom smiled at the sentiment, and turned toward Sarah. "I'd probably starve without you as a roommate. And if I weren't with you I'd probably be dating some loser who'd treat me like crap and cheat on me like the others." Sarah's smile softened. "I don't know why a guy like you settled for a rough woman like me."

Tom smirked and leaned in toward her as he swallowed his food. "I like rough, smooth is boring." He gave her a quick peck on the lips, but Sarah's hand pulled him back to her for a much deeper kiss. Tom gladly returned the affection until Sarah pulled away. "What was that for?"

"I was feeling a bit romantic," Sarah answered before she returned to eating her dinner.

Tom smiled and turned his attention to his tablet. He was gathering more vegetables and beef on his fork when he realized his tablet was open to his deleted messages but he couldn't find his most recently deleted message. Sarah's arm wrapped around his waist, but she was still fully focused on her food. Tom set his tablet down on the table and wrapped his own arm around Sarah, and returned to eating dinner as well.

Author's note: So I lied and this way and way 7 will both be in this story. Not sure about the 8th way.


	218. Way 7

Way 7

**Wait until something terrible has happened and you can't not tell her anymore. **

**Wait until she almost gets hit by a car crossing Wabash against the light and after you are done cursing at the shit-for-brains cab drivers in this city, realize you are actually just terrified of living without her. **

**Tell her with your hand shaking.**

Tom felt like he was going to be sick as he rode the elevator up from the hangar. He wished it would go faster and slower all at the same time. There was an urgency to reach the correct floor, yet he was terrified of what he might find once he got there. The marine in the elevator beside him glanced over and Tom could see the knowing look on his face. It seemed like everyone made this trip at some point, some more broken at the end than others. Tom had feared making this trip for years, and he'd made smaller ones in the past, but never one this serious. He was trying to keep himself from showing any signs of how nervous he was, but it was hard to suppress. The elevator stopped and as soon as the doors slid open and Tom moved into the intensive care wing.

Tom approached the receptionist, who was typing away on a terminal and didn't even look up as he came to a stop in front of her. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Corporal Sarah Palmer," Tom informed her. He was trying his best to sound calm, but he knew it would be impossible to keep the concern out of his voice completely. "Can you tell me what room she's in? My name is Thomas Lasky."

The woman typed for a moment and scrolled through some information. "Here you are under her emergency contacts." The woman looked to him and then back to the screen, no doubt checking to see if he looked like his picture on file. "Corporal Palmer is the fifth room on the left."

"Thank you," Tom said before he moved away, heading down the hallway. He counted the doors and stopped as he reached the fifth room. Tom took a deep breath before he hit the controls beside the door.

He thought he was ready for whatever would be on the other side of the door, but the thoughts in his head were nothing compared to what he was seeing now. Sarah was unconscious on the bed, hooked up to several machines. There was an IV in her arm, an oxygen mask on her face, and a secondary set of machines were monitoring breathing and heartbeat. Her face was so pale and it scared Tom more than he had expected. He moved to the side of the bed and his right hand gripped her hand that was lying on top of the blankets. His left hand gently ran over her hair and slid down to her cheek. "Oh god, Sarah." He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he knew he would probably cause her harm if he did something so foolish. Though Tom did lift her hand a bit and leaned down, placing a kiss on the back of her hand.

This wasn't the first time Sarah had been injured, but she'd never been hurt like this. She'd never been in intensive care for this long, and he'd never felt so panicked any time before. Maybe it was because the pink needles that had put her here were also what had taken Chyler from him so many years ago. Maybe it was because he'd grown so much closer to her and his feelings had grown so much deeper for her than he'd ever thought possible. He watched Sarah's face, looking for any signs of life from her, but she just looked like death. He hadn't gotten an update since the original message was sent to him telling him of Sarah's injuries, so he had no idea what her condition was now. He wanted to get a doctor, to get some more information, but at the same time he didn't want to leave her side. For all he knew she could be dying and he didn't want to risk walking away when she was like this.

He held her hand tightly as he stood by her bed, the full gravity if the situation sinking in. He already hated the days he spent at their apartment alone, but the thought of her never coming home terrified him. The idea of never lounging on the couch with her, sitting at the dinner table with her, or cuddling with her in bed made his chest tighten and he could feel tears gathering in his eyes. The fear alone made him even more unsettled, as he hadn't felt like this in years. The last time he'd been this afraid of someone dying he'd been kneeling beside Chyler, watching helplessly as the life left her. He didn't know when Sarah had become this important to him, enough that the idea of going home without her seemed to be impossible to comprehend. "Please pull through, Sarah," he whispered into the silence of the medical room. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Sarah's forehead gently, silently asking her to survive, because he didn't want to know what life was like without her. "I need you to."

The door to the room opened and Tom turned to see a doctor stepping into the room. "I take it your Commander Lasky," the doctor said, a slight smile on his face. "If you have a moment I can give you an updated status." Tom nodded, not trusting his voice at that moment. The doctor grabbed a chart from the foot of the bed and looked it over quickly before he started to explain. "She should be in here for a couple more days, but she'll pull through. It may take a few months and some rehabilitation to get her back to full strength as her injuries were severe, but by the time she's released from here she'll already be well on her way to recovery. For right now we have Corporal Palmer sedated and we're watching some shrapnel that's still lodged in her chest cavity; but it shouldn't be a major issue." Tom let out a breath that he hadn't known he was holding, happy for any good news. The doctor put a hand on Tom's shoulder and smiled. "She'll be just fine. We'll keep her here for a portion of that time, but we need to know if we send her home you'll be able to take care of her."

"If you release her into my care I can be there for as long as she needs me to be," Tom assured the doctor. For now the ship he was going to be serving on was still being built and he knew he would have the time to care for Sarah; though he wasn't sure if she would revel in him having to serve her, or if she'd be annoyed that he'd be doing so much work while she sat around. But if it turned out she was upset by the arrangement, he was confident he could at least come up with some way to make her happy about it.

"Thank you," Tom said turning his gaze back to Sarah's sleeping face. He squeezed her hand lightly and stood in content silence. She would survive, he wouldn't have to live without her coming home, and right now that was all that mattered. The doctor excused himself but Tom was too focused on Sarah, and his relief that she was going to be all right. He silently promised to himself that he'd cherish every moment from that day forward with her - and to make her favorite meal the day she came home. "I'm going to take such good care of you," he said, smiling as his thumb ran over the back of her hand. "I love you, Sarah," he whispered into the silence of the medical room.


	219. Rory

**Pairing:Anastasia/Noble Six**

**Title: Rory**

Note: This is a request for BadWeather Girl. It's also an example of the kind of story and writing in my other story Anastasia.

Anastasia sat on her bed, staring at the tablet in her hand. She didn't even know why she was looking at these names. She had just been relaxing; trying to recover from the wounds she'd received during the fight to defend Earth. The UNSC's shrinks hadn't cleared her for active duty yet, so she had nothing better to do. To fill the time something had caused her to look up the casualty reports.

She hadn't expected to find anything significant, just a list of names that she'd look over to pass the time. She hadn't expected to see his name on the list, hadn't even been looking for it. She just sat and stared at the four letters that were all that was left of the man she'd known.

She'd only encountered him three times, but it had been more than enough for him to make an impact on her life. There was just something about him that she liked, something that made her feel comfortable. If asked why she couldn't have explained what it was about him that made her feel at ease, he just did. She'd always been surprised at how happy she was to see him and how welcome she was for his company.

"Oh, Rory…" she muttered.

The third time she'd seen him hadn't been that long ago, right before all Hell had broken out across Reach. Anastasia had only recently been given the team of Wolves that would end up being her last, the ones that she'd watch be torn apart by the Flood. They hadn't seemed anything special when she'd met them, and she'd kept a bit of distance, as she did with all new members of the Wolves. No reason to get attached to new soldiers, as they were the most likely to die.

Anastasia had been sitting on a crate in the hangar, watching her new team from a distance. They all seemed to be getting along fine, which didn't surprise her. No veterans around to give the rookies a hard time, just a ton of hot pockets getting to know each other, giving the one survivor space. She hated them at that moment, not only because they were getting along, but because of how they avoided her. She'd been sitting alone for a while when they'd all gathered about twenty feet from her.

It was then that he appeared and sat down beside her. At first she was annoyed that anyone dared to approach her when she was in her current mood, but then she looked over at him. His gray-blue eyes were watching her passively, waiting to see if she'd recognize him. Anastasia was surprised to see him here, or ever again. Each time she'd spoken to him it seemed like it would be the last time, and when he appeared again it was always a surprise. She smiled at him and relaxed in his presence. "Hey, Rory."

The younger man smiled a charming, but genuine, lop sided smile. Anastasia felt heat on her cheeks flare up at the attraction she felt toward him. It was a feeling that caught her off guard, as she hadn't felt it in so long, and she'd always guarded herself as much as she could from the feeling. "Well hello, Fire." He smirked as he noticed her blush. "I see that you're happy to see me."

Anastasia frowned at his teasing - feeling embarrassed, she was a bit defensive. "No, your hair color just reminded me of this new, cute guy on my team." Anastasia looked toward the Wolves and in the direction of a young man with brown hair.

"If he's so cute, why are you sitting with me instead of him?" Rory asked, leaning a bit toward her. He looked over to the group and frowned. "I don't recognize any of them." He looked to Anastasia, watching her carefully.

"Yeah, the last mission wiped the last ones out," Anastasia explained casually. "They gave me all new blood. I'm betting one or two make it through this next mission, and maybe only one will get a proper name." Anastasia frowned at the group of ODST, trying to figure which ones would die first. "And I'm not sitting with you by the way; I was sitting minding my own business and you sat with me."

"True enough, but that still doesn't explain why you're not sitting with them." Rory motioned toward the Wolves who were smiling and chatting.

"I was here first. They came in after me and decided not to sit with me. If they don't want me around then why should I bother with them?" Anastasia crossed her arms and slouched a bit.

"You were here before them, in more ways than one," Rory observed. "They're probably just intimidated by you. But then again, who wouldn't be? I can assure you I'm intimidated by a beautiful, strong woman like you."

Anastasia smiled slightly at the man beside her, not even minding the arm that had slipped around her shoulders. "Do you use that pick up line on all the girls?"

"Never used it on a girl, and I've only used it on one woman. But she was very special and absolutely worth breaking out my best moves." Rory grinned and Anastasia couldn't help but smile and laugh lightly. "Seems that my moves are working." Anastasia leaned on the arm around her shoulder. "You seem to be really used to getting new teammates, is it that common for ODST teams to have people die?"

Anastasia furrowed her brown and tilted her head, not understanding the sudden question. "Why do you care about what a team is like?" Rory shrugged in response and Anastasia didn't know what to make of it. "Most teams aren't like mine; we're sort of a suicide squad. Most teams don't have such a high level of casualties because their jobs aren't as dangerous."

"And you've survived them all," Rory muttered quietly. "You're either extremely lucky, or incredibly unlucky." Anastasia didn't respond to that, she didn't know how to. "Do you really hate being on a team so much? I would think that if you were all alone you'd get lonely."

"And having a team is better? Having to watch them die, always being surrounded by new faces that pretend to know you but they have no idea who you are. How is that any different than being alone? You work on your own, and you don't get lonely." Anastasia turned her gaze to the floor.

"Everyone gets lonely," Rory contradicted, hugging her a bit tighter to his side. "Even I get lonely. And when we're hurt we seek out the company of those we have bonds with, people that understand us, for the people that we care about." Rory moved his hand over and let it rest on her knee. "We look for a companion that can understand us so we don't feel so alone."

Anastasia was struck by the statement, realizing what he meant. There was something about having Rory's arm around her and his hand on her knee that felt intimate, but at the same time it was just warm, comforting. "So I keep meeting you because you want a companion?"

"Only this time," Rory answered, his hand moving from her knee to gently take her hand in his. "I got some news and I wanted to find someone I trust to be with. I guess I got lucky when I spotted you here, sitting all alone. You're the only person I'd want to be sitting with right now."

"Wow, you must be really desperate to come to me, Rory." Anastasia smiled slightly and shook her head. "So, what's the news that's so bad you've come to me for company?"

Rory didn't speak right away and Anastasia didn't dare say anything. "I'm going to be assigned to a team," he finally said. Anastasia turned toward him, surprised. As long as she'd known him he'd only worked on his own, so the thought of him being on a team was impossible. "I have to say, I was a bit disappointed when I saw the name of the team wasn't Wolf." He smiled slightly before he continued. "I would love to be a member of your pack."

"You'd die if you were," Anastasia retorted. "So what is the name of the team that you're going to be on?" She looked to his hand that was still holding hers.

"Sorry, can't tell you that," Rory answered. "Another bit of my life hidden in black ink, that sort of thing. I don't really know much about them, but they're soldiers like me."

"You are a hard man to get information on, or contact, particularly with no last name to search." Anastasia had always found him impossible to track, and it seemed that was what the UNSC was aiming for.

"A man has to keep some secrets. Besides, I like Novara way more. Rory Novara, it has a certain ring to it." Rory smiled but she could see that he was hiding something. She'd seen all kinds of expressions over the years, both outbursts and suppressed emotions.

"Why are you talking to me about this?" Anastasia asked.

"A couple reasons," Rory began. "You're the only person I have, anywhere. I don't usually meet people twice, and I don't feel as comfortable with them as I do with you. The second is because we're in similar situations. You may be the old hardened wolf of the pack but you'll go into combat with a group of people you don't know, that don't know you, but are still your team. How do you do it, just walk into a team and deal with it?"

Anastasia shifted a bit, not sure how to answer at first. She never really thought about it, she always just became a part of a new team, without effort. "There isn't a trick to it," she finally began. "A new team comes in and I just fall into line behind whoever leads. Someone takes command and all I have to do is follow orders, and survive. When you meet this new team there will be someone that gives orders, just do what they say and keep your head low until you get a feel for where you fit in. I mean, usually I just ignore people until they prove they'll be able to survive. But you probably won't lose any teammates for some time."

Rory nodded his head and looked down to their clasped hands. "Thanks for the advice; I'll take it to heart. I guess I'm really lucky to have you and all your experience. Maybe I'll find a way to contact you once I've settled into my team. I'll tell you what it's like to have teammates that don't die," he joked.

"I think I'd like that," Anastasia said, smiling slightly at the idea of him contacting her. His hand gripped hers just a bit tighter for a moment and she looked to their hands. "Why am I letting you hold my hand?" She hadn't even paid attention to the action, or the arm around her, until now.

"Like I said, we all feel lonely sometimes, and want the company of those that understand us." Rory leaned in a bit toward her. "Lonely souls can find comfort in each other."

"How do you know I'm lonely? I'm fine on my own," Anastasia asserted.

"Because I recognize loneliness in your eyes. I see the same thing when I look at my reflection." Rory looked away for a second. "It seems your team is leaving. If following is what you're going to do, then you should probably follow."

Anastasia sighed; disappointed that she was already leaving his company so soon. She'd hoped that this time she'd get to know him more, but life had never been so kind to her. "I guess you're right." She slipped her hand from his and his arm fell from her shoulder.

They stood and Rory gave her a warm smile. "As always, seeing you again has been more than a pleasure." He pursed his lips for a moment and then shrugged. "What the hell, I wanted to do this last time anyway." He leaned forward and his lips touched Anastasia's. She was caught off guard by the sudden affection and barely any chance to return the kiss before Rory pulled away. "See you again soon, Fire. I promise to try to look you up." He smiled widely before he turned around and moved away, toward an exit of the hangar. Anastasia watched him go for a moment before she turned and walked toward the rookies that made up her new team.

When she'd first met him she'd never have expected she'd ever sit intimately with him or welcome a kiss from him. They'd been on a ship heading to some of the outer colonies and had been patrolling a system. Anastasia had been sitting on her own in the gym, her team having finished their training. The more veteran soldiers had been tossing around the rookies to toughen them up, or at least that was what they told the rookies. Really they were just bored and it was something to do. Anastasia hadn't taken part, she didn't care enough to join in and she waited for them to leave before she started her own workout in silence. She'd finished her weight training for the day and was taking a short break to decide what to do next.

That was when he'd entered the gym, seeming to have been waiting for the more solitary environment as well. His hair was a light brown, his eyes were a gray-blue, and his nose seemed a bit big for his face. Still, he was pretty cute, so Anastasia watched him for a bit. He moved to the sparring mat and stopped at the edge. "You want to spar or are you going to just stare?" He turned toward her when he finished speaking.

Anastasia scowled, annoyed with having been caught. She stood up and moved to join him beside the mat. "You sure that's a good idea? I'm tougher than I look." Anastasia was not the most muscular of soldiers, but she'd learned enough from both training and combat that she could hold her own in a match.

"Give me your best shot," he said as he stepped onto the mat. He was grinning happily and she wanted to smack that look off of his face. She stepped onto the mat and both took fighting postures. They stood, waiting for the other to make the first move. "If neither of us attacks then this is going to be the longest staring match of all time."

"Then why don't you grow a pair and attack?" Anastasia snapped.

"Because your outward appearance would indicate that you probably use your opponents first strike against them to make up for your lack of brute strength, so attacking you first would be stupid of me." The man smiled slightly, like he was laughing inside at some silent joke.

"Well usually with bigger stronger enemies I would wait. But with you, I don't think I need to." Anastasia moved forward and threw a punch from the left. The man raised and arm to block it with ease. She pulled away her left arm and struck with her right. The man blocked it the same way, with an amused smirk on his face. Anastasia smirked as well as she spotted and opening and her leg collided with his side. The man backed away but he seems to be thrilled by the strike. "Your form sucks," Anastasia taunted.

"And your form is beautiful," the man replied, preparing to fight again. "Maybe the most beautiful I've ever seen." Anastasia frowned, having an odd feeling he wasn't talking about her fighting form. "I'm guessing that you're an ODST."

"What makes you say that?" Anastasia made a few strikes toward him but he blocked each of them.

"Only an ODST would risk being on one foot while attacking just to get the hit in. I could have knocked that foot out from under you easily but you risked it. I hand to admire the willingness to take a risk." The man turned to attacking but Anastasia dodged his strikes. "I find sometimes the marines I see tend to cower when faced with Covenant, or odds they think they can't beat."

"Freezing up gets you killed. A real marine doesn't freeze; they fight whatever gets in their way to complete their mission." They were now trading strikes and blocks. "I'd have died a long time ago if I seized up every time I came face-to-face with Covenant."

"I'm honestly surprised how many seem eager to run away from danger, good thing I don't have to work with them." The man stepped back as Anastasia got close to hitting him in the face. "Hey, watch the nose."

"I'd try not to hit it, but it's hard not to strike such a large target," Anastasia teased. She ducked down as his fist passed over her head. "So if you don't work with marines who do you work with? ODST?"

"Nope," he said casually as he blocked a left hook. "I don't have a team; it's just me, myself, and I."

Anastasia took a few steps back and looked at him, surprised. She was a bit jealous that he got to work all on his own. "Wait, you don't have a team? You can actually go out into the field on your own?"

The man relaxed and dropped his fighting stance. "Yeah, I'm a singularly deployed soldier. I only fight on my own. Why, looking to ditch your own team?"

"It's more like my team is dying to get away from me." Anastasia dropped her own stance and scowled, annoyed at him because he had the job she wanted. She liked the wolves she'd gotten to know, but death was always around her, and it hurt more when they were teammates you cared about. "How does someone get a solo assignment?"

"Well you don't really get to choose it," he said as he moved off the mat and over to a bench where a water bottle was sitting. "I was just sort of given it, not really something that I went looking for. I don't know why they gave it to me."

"Shit," Anastasia muttered, disappointed that he had no more information. She liked being a Wolf, but at times she thought of how nice it would be to be alone, without a team and without the emotional weight of knowing people. Anastasia sat down on the bench to rest. She hadn't realized that she was breathing heavier and it irritated her that the man wasn't breathing too hard.

The man took a swig of the water as he sat down beside her. "My name's Rory by the way." He held out the bottle to Anastasia and she took it. "Not often I meet someone that can get a hit in on me. What's your name?"

"Lance Corporal Novara," Anastasia answered, handing the bottle back. "You left a spot wide open, knowing I would try to hit it. You kept yourself too well guarded for the rest of that sparring match. You had to have left it open on purpose."

"A fighter and perceptive, you've got it all." Rory smiled at her as he set his water bottle to the side. "I did leave it open, but not everyone would take advantage of it because of the risk. So tell me, Novara, where did you get such a scar?" He motioned to her shoulder where the scar from a Jackal was visible, hidden only by the strap of her tank top.

Anastasia's hand moved to her shoulder, trying to block the scar from his sight. "It was just a Jackal," she answered, turning her gaze to the ground. Even so many years later she could still feel the fangs in her skin, the Jackal's grip on her that she thought would never let go.

"I would think your armor would protect from a wound like that. How'd a Jackal do that to a woman like you?" Anastasia wasn't sure what to make of Rory's question. What was a woman like her?

"I wasn't in armor. It was nineteen years ago, and they don't really pass out armor to kids." Anastasia closed her eyes, trying to will away those memories. Like always thinking about that time brought up feelings of anger and helplessness - and she hated that. Most people felt fear or sadness when thinking about an event like the day her planet burned, but that wasn't Anastasia. Anastasia responded to those painful memories and emotions with violence.

"You were on your planet when it was glassed?" There was an edge of surprise to Rory's voice that was unfamiliar to Anastasia. Usually people had a sort of sad or pitying tone when they learned that information, but Rory seemed excited. "The people I was trained with all had seen their planets glassed too, but I haven't met anyone that wasn't trained with me that was on their planet when they were attacked. I haven't been in the field that long, but a lot of the soldiers I've encountered seem to have only heard about planets being glassed."

"Well now you have," Anastasia stated, a bit confused by how excited he was. "I met plenty of people who watched their planet be invaded while I was living on Reach with the other refugees. I've only been in the field for about a year, but most people I've met usually think they're protecting their planet from the Covenant or were already in the military before they got the news about their planet."

Rory leaned a bit closer to her and he got a serious look on his face. "What planet were you from? Was the Jackal the first Covenant you had contact with?"

"Why do you care about any of that?" Anastasia snapped. "You lived through it, why would you ever want to talk about any of that? You know what it was like." Anastasia clenched her firsts and leaned toward him, furious. "Why are you asking me this?"

Rory backed up a bit and frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't think of it that way. You don't have to answer any of those questions if you don't want to; I guess I just thought you became a soldier for the same reason as me." Rory wrung his hands, obviously a bit awkward in the situation. "I mean, that you became a soldier for revenge…didn't you?"

"No," Anastasia answered, scowling at the idea. It had never crossed her mind to become a soldier to get back at the Covenant for the destruction of her planet. "I was only three when it happened, so it's not like the planet meant much to me. I became a soldier because the UNSC was the only thing I believed in."

Rory leaned back in a bit closer to her, tilting his head to the side just a bit. "You were only three? Even I wasn't that young when my planet was glassed. How did you make it out of that alive?"

Anastasia's hand moved up to her shoulder and the UNSC logo that was tattooed there. "An ODST saved me at the last minute. They got me off the planet and to safety." She could still remember the face of the man as he smiled at her in the medical bed.

"I'm surprised you have a UNSC eagle, not like a flaming skull or something." Rory leaned back to get a good look at the tattoo. "Why did you get a UNSC logo? Seems sort of bland."

"I don't know you well enough to tell you the story behind it. I don't know you well enough to tell you the reason behind any of my tattoos." Anastasia shifted a bit, trying to get away from his gaze as it made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"You have other tattoos?" Rory raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. "Where else do you have tattoos? Can I see any of them?" His eyes dropped, looking over her exposed skin for any hint of a tattoo.

"You wish," Anastasia smiled slightly, happier with teasing than with asking about her history. And a part of her actually enjoyed his apparent interest in her, as each of her new scars made her more self-conscious.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Novara," Rory smiled as he stood up, grabbing his water bottle. "Unfortunately I have to get cleaned up so I can keep an appointment. I do hope to see you again."

Anastasia knew that he really meant it, and she couldn't help but smile. "It's Anastasia."

Rory's smile widened at her words. "Well then, I hope to see you again, Anastasia." He saluted her quickly and then turned and moved to the showers.

Anastasia had never expected to see him after that, so when she met him again three years later it was a surprise. It was even more of a surprise that their second meeting would have such an impact on her, and would set the groundwork that would make her welcome his affection.

As with most of their missions, the planet they'd been deployed to had gone to hell. Their drop had been fine, but nothing good had happened from there on out. One of her teammates had been taken out by a Jackal sniper, a second had been obliterated by a hunter pair, and a third had been seriously injured. The fourth member of her squad had decided to stay behind with the third, but not long after they were lost after a Phantom had come crashing down on top of their position and collapsed the building they had been in. The last had been taken out by a fuel rod wielding Grunt, and even years later Anastasia would wonder how she didn't get killed in the blast as well. She was burned slightly by the heat, but somehow she survived.

Anastasia lay on the ground, her right arm was partially burned and her head hurt from hitting the ground when she'd fallen. Her helmet had protected her well enough, but it was still a shock to the system. She lifted her head and saw the Grunts waddle away, having thought she was dead. Before they could ready their fuel rods again, both of the short alien's heads suddenly burst into bits of skull and brain.

Anastasia rolled onto her side and quickly moved behind a section of broken building for cover. Her head was clearing but she didn't know who had killed the Grunts. She set her head against the rubble and gave herself a moment to breathe. She cursed as she realized that she'd dropped her weapon when she'd been knocked down, which meant that she was unarmed. Anastasia moved to the edge of the wall she was behind and peeked out to see if there were any enemies that would prevent her from getting her gun back.

What she saw wasn't something she was expecting, and for a moment she wondered if she was seeing a new Covenant that she hadn't been told about. Upon closer examination of the shape and the way it moved however, she had to conclude that it was indeed a human. The individual was gathering up ammunition from the Grunts, and was wearing armor that was absolutely foreign to her. It was bulky and rough looking, like someone had taken parts of a ship and strapped them to a person. The figure looked around and then turned toward Anastasia. She moved back behind the stone barrier and hoped that whatever it was hadn't seen her. Human or not, she still had no idea if this stranger was a friend or a foe. She heard steps and knew that the thing was coming toward her.

Anastasia made a quick decision and hoped that she'd at least have a chance to get away if she couldn't damage it. Anastasia crouched down and looked around, spotting her assault rifle lying on the ground. She sprinted toward it and picked it up as she dove, rolling to her feet. Anastasia lifted the rifle but stopped as she saw that the figure was holding up its hands. Anastasia lowered the weapon and the strange armored person approached her.

"Are you injured, trooper?" a man's voice asked, as the figure held out his hand to help her up. Anastasia frowned at his hand and stood up on her own. The oddly-armored man retracted his hand and nodded, accepting that she was all right. "Where's your team, soldier?"

"Most are dead, I believe there are two of them still alive in the homes around the business district." Anastasia looked toward the field where the Covenant had been. There had been a couple Elites and a few Grunts, but they were all dead now. She looked over to the dead body of her teammate, deciding that there was nothing to be done. She moved over to the body and yanked off the woman's dog tags. Anastasia tucked them away in her armor and checked her weapon.

"What's your next action?" the strange soldier asked. He was scanning the street for any sign of Covenant. "What's your objective?"

"I don't have an objective. My radio isn't working and we were looking for a ride off-planet, or to a major troop location at least." Anastasia took some assault rifle ammunition that seemed usable from her fallen teammate as well.

The man watched her, as though he didn't believe her. "Have you not checked in with command for new orders?"

Anastasia looked up at the soldier and stood up. "Why don't you just go on with our own mission? I can take care of myself." Anastasia moved into a vacant building nearby, moving up to the second floor to get a bit of safety so she could check out her armor. She was aggravated to hear the strange soldier was following her up the stairs. Anastasia took a seat on a broken desk.

The other soldier looked around and seemed to decide that there was nowhere that could handle the obvious weight of his armor so he just leaned against a wall. Anastasia ignored him and just focused on her own armor. She checked her COMM system but she got nothing. She smacked her hand to the side of her helmet but it still didn't work. She finally pulled her helmet off and whacked it against the desk she was sitting on.

The armored man stood from where he was leaning and took a step toward Anastasia. "I thought it was you," he said quietly.

Anastasia frowned and narrowed her gaze at him, not understanding what he meant. "You must have me confused with someone else. Everyone I've ever known is dead, and those that aren't should stay far away from me."

"I know it's been a few years, Anastasia, but I didn't think it would make you hostile toward me." The soldier reached up and removed his helmet. Anastasia didn't know what she had expected, but the blue eyed, big-nosed man she'd met three years ago wasn't on her list of who she would have guessed. "Unless you're still annoyed that I asked about the glassing of your planet, that is."

Anastasia turned her helmet over in her hand, staring down at the visor and her reflection. "I never said it was because I hated them. Though for most of them it is because I hate them." She rubbed her thumb over a blood stain on the reflective surface, trying to clean it a bit. "I don't care about the glassing of my planet. You know it doesn't matter to me, Rory."

"You said it wasn't why you became a soldier," Rory corrected. "That doesn't mean it isn't important to you." He took another step forward and Anastasia reflexively looked up at him. He stopped in his tracks and she saw a sort of sad look on his face. "The years have changed you." It was a clear statement and Anastasia wasn't about to fight it.

"Combat, war, and death changed me," she corrected. "It could have all happened in one year and the results would still be the same." She met his gaze and stared him down as though it were a test of strength. "At least I'm not the one who's wearing old warthog parts on me as armor."

Rory looked down at the green plating of his armor. "I guess it does sort of look like that," he admitted. "It's actually pretty advanced armor. It increases my physical abilities, so I'm more than happy to look like a warthog." He smiled slightly and moved to lean against the desk she was on. "Do you think if I put some flashlights on the sides of my head that maybe Grunts will mistake me for one and dive out of the way when I charge them?" Anastasia sighed at the joke and Rory's smile fell. "Come on, not even a little smile?"

"What exactly do I have to smile about?" Anastasia asked. "I've got a busted radio, an injured comrade, a mostly dead team, and the only other useful member of my team is keeping the injured one alive. What exactly about all of that should I be smiling about?"

Rory watched her with a worried gaze as she glared at him. "I'm sorry, Anastasia, I didn't realize it was that bad." He crossed his arms a bit uncomfortably across his chest. The bulk of the armor kept him from really having a normal posture or position. It all just looked awkward and Anastasia couldn't understand why he'd want armor like that. "You know there's a police station a few blocks north that might have a pelican you can take to evac your team."

"Where do you think we were heading when those Covenant ambushed us?" Anastasia snapped. "I was just making a trip down to the grocery store to buy some milk."

Rory frowned, visually displeased. "The years have made you a rather harsh person," he commented and he leaned in a bit closer. "They've also made you a sadder one."

"I'm not sad," Anastasia denied. "I'm pissed that you won't just get on with your own mission and leave me alone. I can get a pelican on my own."

"You are sad," Rory insisted. "You said that only two members of your team were alive and that most of them were dead. A squad like yours has about six people. Half your squad is dead, so sad is a reasonable emotion."

"Losing half my team is called 'a Tuesday', Rory." Anastasia turned her gaze to the ground. It wasn't completely true; she had lost one named wolf, and now Sky was the only remaining Wolf that had a proper name.

Rory didn't respond to the question, just shifted his helmet in his hands for a few seconds. "I could help you get that pelican," he offered. "Your teammate's dead, so I can back you up."

"I don't need back up," Anastasia snapped. "Don't you have some mission you need to complete?"

"I'm supposed to help the troops that are already on the ground. You're a trooper on the ground. Helping you is a part of my mission." Anastasia scowled at him, insulted by the idea that she'd need help. Rory must have picked up on her displeasure. "Well, really I'm helping your teammates. If one of them is injured, then every minute counts. I should at least be able to help you shave off a minute or two from your retrieval time."

Anastasia sighed and decided that it was pointless to fight him, that he wasn't going to let her go on her own. "Fine, tag along if you want." Anastasia slipped on her helmet and checked the systems were fine. "Though I hope that stupid-ass armor can do stealth, 'cause you can find someone else to help if Grunts are going to hear your footsteps a mile away."

"I assure you that though this armor may be big, I can still do stealth," Rory answered. "It's more useful than it looks. Besides, we can't all look as good as you do in our armor." Anastasia looked away from him, trying to show that she was disregarding his comment. "You look better in your armor then I expected."

"Can you not flirt with me and instead get moving so that my teammates don't die before I get a pelican?" Anastasia stood up and moved toward the stairs.

"I'm not flirting," Rory corrected as he followed her out of the building. "I'm just saying that it looks good on you."

"How exactly is that not flirting? Complementing a woman's appearance is classic flirting." Anastasia moved out the front door of the building and looked around the street. "We need a ride."

"I'm not flirting," Rory defended. "I just think that the armor looks like you, you know, like it suits you." He audibly sighed and moved to stand beside her. "I think I saw one that was operational a few blocks away that we could get to easily." Anastasia motioned for him to lead the way and Rory started walking.

They walked in silence for some time, which Anastasia was grateful for as she didn't want him to pry more. The warthog that they found was in fairly good shape and once Rory pushed a chunk of metal off the hood it was good to move. She wouldn't admit it but his strength was impressive, and she envied how easily he moved the heavy, chunky-looking armor. Anastasia took the gunner's spot while Rory moved into the driver's seat.

They didn't find many enemies on the road, which was lucky as Anastasia didn't know how good of a driver Rory was and she didn't want to find out with her life on the line. She was just happy as long as Rory didn't start asking her any more questions.

"So how have you been over the years?" he asked as he took a turn and maneuvered between the crashed cars on the road.

Anastasia let out an exasperated sigh, but for whatever reason she decided to answer. "I've been fighting a war, how do you think I've been," Anastasia grumbled. "You still living the sweet life where you get to work alone?"

"Yeah, still on my own," Rory answered. "Do you really still hate being a part of a team? I would think it would be helpful to have others for your enemies to shoot at, at the very least."

Anastasia looked down a side alley as they passed, checking to see if she saw any enemies in the distance. There was nothing so she relaxed a bit. "If anything I want to be solo now more than ever before."

Rory didn't say anything to that, just continued to drive down the streets. Anastasia was fine with the silence, but there was something in the air that made her uneasy. She looked down to him and something seemed to have changed about his posture. He seemed tense and more focused when he spoke and it startled Anastasia a bit. "Do you really lose that many teammates?"

"More than you know," Anastasia answered. "Most of them don't even live long enough to become 'Rookies', let alone get a real name. The newbie that was injured will probably be dead, but at least Sky should be able to survive."

"What do you mean by 'a real name'? Are their original names not good enough?" Rory asked.

"Combat gives you a name," Anastasia explained, spinning the turret around to watch their back and so she could lean against the frame-bars of the warthog. "It's a real name, not one that's handed to you, but earned. Everyone gets a name, but only Wolves have real names."

How exactly does combat give you a name?" Rory turned the warthog onto the main street and the police station came into view.

"You have to do something to earn it. Sky got her name when she fell onto an Elite and crushed its spine. She came from the sky and saved Luna's life. Of course Luna was dead a few hours later because of a Hunter, but the action still resulted in a name." Anastasia stared at the road behind them as she remembered the mission, the death of the rookie and the hot pocket before the large alien had taken Luna. "It's a name that's earned…" she muttered.

"What's your real name?" Anastasia ignored the question, just turned the turret around as they neared the station. Rory brought the jeep to a stop and Anastasia jumped off the back. "How do you fight?" Rory asked.

"Fine," Anastasia answered curtly.

"I meant do you prefer being in close, or at a distance? I already know you can hold your own in a fight. Just need to know if I should give you a pistol or if you're fine with your assault rifle." Rory pulled out his pistol and looked to the police station, scanning it for signs of Covenant.

"I'm fine with an assault rifle. A marine can use any weapon in a time of need." Anastasia pulled her rifle from the back of her armor and moved toward the station. The glass of the front door was busted, so she crouched down and just passed through. She'd stepped into the lobby and scanned the area to be sure it was clear. She spun around as there was a creaking sound behind her. She stopped as she saw Rory pushing the door to the station open. "I thought we were going for stealth."

"I can't fit through that opening," Rory argued. "Would you rather I'd broken one of the windows to get in?" He moved in to stand beside her. "The pelican will probably be a few levels up. I'll check the computer to see what I can find."

Anastasia nodded and moved to a side of the lobby, reading the signs that directed people to whatever department they were looking for, but there wasn't one for a pelican. There was a sudden roar, and Anastasia turned around in time to see an Elite slamming Rory's helmet into one of the computers. The alien tried to hold his head down but Rory rotated and his elbow knocked the Elite's arm away. It didn't stop the alien from striking with his other hand which wrapped around Rory's neck. Anastasia drew her knife and moved forward. The enemy was too focused on the male soldier that it didn't even react until it was too late. Anastasia climbed onto the Elite's back and stabbed her knife into its spine. She dropped down to the ground and Rory pushed the body off of him.

"Making a ton of noise and needing to be rescued. Remind me again how it is that you're helping me?" Anastasia taunted.

"I didn't even hear it come up and it wasn't on my motion tracker," Rory complained. "I appreciate you saving my skin, but I could have handled it."

"Sure you could have. And I'm sure you also got us a map." Rory looked away and Anastasia sighed. "Let's just start walking up the stairs and we'll see if they have markers."

"Fine, if you want to do it the simple way, but you seem to be into things being more difficult," Rory muttered.

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" Anastasia snapped. "I haven't been difficult at all, you're the one that's being difficult, forcing me to take you on this mission with me."

"You're the one that right away was hostile, that fought me when I just wanted to help, and keeps information from me," Rory argued. "I'm not an enemy, I just care about you."

"I don't need you to care about me, Rory. I'm fine the way I am and you're better off not caring about me at all. I'm part of a suicide squad, so it's kind of pointless to worry."

"I'm not worried about you dying," Rory corrected. "The Anastasia I met only three years ago smiled, and when she was teased it was really playful and she flirted with me. She didn't have such a bleak outlook at life."

"Why don't you just mind your own business and just focus on the mission," Anastasia snapped, stomping up the stairs. Rory groaned and just fell into step behind her.

The two made their way up four flights of stairs before they found a sign that marked the fifth level as the flight station. It was clear of enemies, but Anastasia wasn't really surprised, the Covenant rarely cared about the levels of buildings above the first one. There were two pelicans and Anastasia realized that this is where she would have to split from Rory. Although she wanted him to get away before being around her got him killed, she didn't really want him to go either. It had been nice having him around, and he seemed to actually care about her.

"Well, there goes my plan to lie and say that I'd need your pelican so I'd be able to keep you safe." Rory laughed lightly, but Anastasia was fairly sure he wasn't kidding.

"I don't need to be protected," Anastasia said on reflex. She hated being protected, it got good people killed and it was always her fault.

"Why do I care about what you need? It's what I want to do." Rory reached up and pulled his helmet off. "Can I ask you something first?" Anastasia shrugged but nodded, deciding one last question couldn't hurt...though as usual, she was wrong. "How do you do it? How do you watch people die and get past it?"

Anastasia sighed and looked away from him. "I just shut out people from getting close. The people that get the closest to me are the Wolves with names, but I still keep myself distanced from them. People die, Rory, so you either stay away from them or you deal with the pain that comes with that death." Anastasia stared at the pelican and fell silent for a few seconds. "I choose to stay away."

"But aren't our bonds with other humans what make us human?" It was a stupid question in Anastasia's opinion, but Rory sounded serious. "I see soldiers dying all the time, and I want to help them but there's nothing I can do. All I can do is watch them die and I hate it."

"That's because you're soft," Anastasia huffed, setting her hands on her hips. "If you let the death of random soldiers get under your skin, then it won't be the Covenant that kills you - it'll be your own damn sentimentality. They're soldiers, dying is just one possible end for us, weren't you taught that?"

"Of course I was, but it's not that simple. I want to protect people, not just leave them to die." Rory ran a hand over his recently buzzed hair. "I'm just tired of all the death."

"Then you're in the wrong line of work. This war isn't over and there's going to be plenty more death before it is." Anastasia removed her own helmet and frowned at Rory. "It's going to hurt either way."

"So you just cut yourself off from having bonds with anyone? No friends, family, or significant other?" Rory took a step closer to Anastasia and flexed the hand that was closest to her.

"The closest things I have to friends are my teammates, and they die too easily so I don't let them get too close. Family isn't something that I'm interested in, and I don't have anyone to love so I'm fine there. I'm not missing out on much," Anastasia concluded.

"You could really live a life with no love in it?" Rory seemed to not be able to comprehend the idea. "How can you be happy that way?"

"I don't need another person to be happy," Anastasia answered. "I have Covenant to kill, and drops to make. I'm happy that way. How could it be better?"

Rory smiled slightly. "You could let someone in. Someone that can handle themselves in combat." Rory's hand moved just a bit and brushed against Anastasia's hand. She looked down to his hand and didn't know how to respond. She didn't even understand what it was he was offering her. When Anastasia didn't respond Rory seemed to back off a bit. "Well, I guess we should part ways."

Anastasia nodded, agreeing that if she stayed any longer and she might start to over think his words. "I'll tell my team that a guy wearing a junk yard got his head smashed into a terminal to try to help them."

"I didn't do it for them," Rory said with a smile before he bumped his shoulder against hers. "You deserve to keep at least a couple teammates every once in a while."

Anastasia smiled slightly and she put her rifle on her back. "It's a new concept, but I think I'll give it a try." She slammed her fist into his shoulder, even though she was sure he wouldn't really feel it through the think plates. "See you around, Rory."

"You mean you actually wouldn't be against seeing me again?" Anastasia rolled her eyes and Rory laughed. "I think that's my biggest victory of the day."

"Only because you don't have any other victory." Anastasia smirked in triumph as she got in one last jab. Rory smiled back, and for a moment Anastasia thought that he was going to do something, but he just nodded and slipped his helmet on. Anastasia slipped on her own helmet and moved her pelican. She watched out of the front window as Rory's pelican rose and she followed suit. He moved off to the north and Anastasia turned to the south to pick up her team.

Anastasia had been a fool, stupid enough to believe his claims that he could take care of himself in combat. She tossed the tablet onto her bed and cursed under her breath. She cursed Noble Team, which he was listed as being part of. He'd been fine on his own, but the moment he'd been put on a team he'd been killed.

Anastasia moved to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, frustrated by the lonely gaze that stared back at her. She'd been stupid to get attached to him so quickly, and actually expect him to survive. Anastasia's fist slammed into the mirror and it cracked. She knew she would get shit about that later but she didn't care right now. She stared down at the broken shards of glass before she reached down and picked up a piece.

She gripped the shard loosely and held out her right arm. There were lines of scars all along her inner forearm. To the causal glance they would look like just normal scars, but if someone really thought about it they would realize their placement was wrong. Her armor had always protected that part of her body so there was no reason for her to have scars there. Anastasia drug the shard across her skin, watching the blood rise up and slide down her arm. There were a few marks that were still healing, having finally reached a point where they would scar. She dropped the piece of the mirror into the sink and just watched her arm bleed. It would stop on its own; she'd done this enough times that she knew what she was doing. She knew when she could tell if it would scar or not. She knew how deep she had to cut and how deep was too deep. The cut was a bit longer than the others, her own way of honoring Rory.

After the blood had stopped flowing from the wound, Anastasia sat down on her bed and she ran her finger along her arm. "Damn you, Rory," she said quietly, as she allowed tears to slide freely down her face.


	220. Xmas Lesson

**Pairing: Kathleen/Shadow friendship, Fred/Kathleen**

**Title: Xmas lesson**

Shadow Blade stared at the box, not sure what to make of it. It had been sent from Earth, or some other human colony - he'd only bothered to learn the name of their main planet, so he simply called all human worlds "Earth". The outside of the box was covered in a paper that had poorly drawn depictions of a Sangheili in some sort of wheel-less transport being pulled by a Hunter that had horns on its head. The Sangheili was in crimson armor with some white trim, or at least that was what he guessed. It had taken several minutes of staring at the doodle to even come up with his current interpretation of what it was. He didn't know what it all meant, or why it had been sent to him.

"It is from Demon," Dawn pointed out from where she stood beside Blade. "Do you think she would have sent you something dangerous?" Blade looked at her for a moment before the female Sangheili came to the same conclusion and pulled her sword out at the ready. "Open it."

Blade nodded and carefully removed the paper until he found the lid of the box. He tensed and quickly pulled it open, moving out of the way in case Demon had sent Some rabbid animal or explosive to cause more scars she could tease him about. There was silence and Blade relaxed slightly as he realized nothing had attacked or injured him. He slowly moved closer to the now open container, with Dawn still behind him and poised to counter any potential threat.

Blade looked in the box and his posture suddenly relaxed completely. "She sent me a box of junk," he informed the Sword Elite. Dawn moved over and looked into the box of things that Demon had sent Blade. The male Sangheili reached inside the package and picked up a small device that had a scoop on one end, and read the tag attached to it. "Melon-baller?" Blade narrowed his gaze at the item and snapped his mandibles in annoyance.

"It appears she sent a message as well," Dawn informed him, holding a small tablet she'd retrieved from the box out to him. Blade took the tablet and hit the button on the front to make the message play.

The screen lit up and Blade was surprised to not only see Demon, but also some other human that was with her. The other human was male, had his eyes closed, and his chin resting on Demon's shoulder. "Hey there, butter knife," Demon greeted casually. "This is Fred." Her hand moved up to the male human's hair and he nuzzled closer to Demon's neck. Blade growled, remembering how Demon told him that this "Fred" had hurt her. "Before you get upset, he's currently making up for being stupid. So he's back to being my mate." The male must not have actually been asleep, as he smiled slightly and did something with his mouth where he pressed his mouth-flesh (Demon had said they were called "lips" on humans) to Demon's neck. Blade wondered if it was some form of aggression, as he was putting his teeth rather close to her skin. "Anyway, back to the reason why I'm sending you this…"

"You mean why you sent me this debris and junk," Blade grumbled, gently kicking the box.

"…You see, humans have this holiday called X-mas. It used to have another name with religious roots, but nearly five hundred years ago it was completely consumed by commercialism so it's not so bad any more. I'm not going to explain the devotional crap, it's all hogwash anyway, but I'll get to the reason I sent you a box of stuff. See the religious holiday was different, but to get more people to take part they combined it with all these other holidays that happen at the end of the year. One of these holidays that was sucked in was one that involved gift-giving. So I thought I'd introduce you to the human holiday by giving you a gift." Blade glanced toward the items, confused as to how they were supposed to be gifts. "Inside the box you'll find a lot of labeled utensils. Every single one of them is named something I have called you at least once. The one with the red tag is a butter knife." Dawn moved to the box and started to dig around, looking for the object in question. "Now, it's probably going to be after the end of the human year by the time you get this package, but at the time I'm recording this it is X-mas today." The screen panned around to a barracks filled with ODSS, who were all unwrapping boxes covered in paper or messing with human objects.

The camera turned back to Demon, who was now holding Fred's head to her neck as he continued the strange lip action on her neck and shoulder. "Just enjoy the gifts, butter knife. Hope to see you soon. Merry X-mas, you half-faced device used to spread dairy product on heated bread."

The screen then went dark, but after a moment it lit up again and showed a group picture of the ODSS. Blade looked to Dawn, who was now holding a small metal tool that was wide on one end and much thinner on the other end. The sides of the tool were dull and harmless. "This is labeled 'butter knife'," she informed him.

Blade took the knife from Dawn and touched the edge of it. He growled when he felt how dull it was and then let out an annoyed huff. "I really should have expected she was calling me something like this." He looked down at Dawn as she was searching through the box. "What are you doing?"

"I'm interested to see what she had been calling you," the female Sangheili answered. "Pizza cutter, spork, a Swiss Army knife." Dawn pulled out an odd-looking red device and proceeded to open up a surprising number of smaller tools from it. Dawn peered at it, obviously fascinated.

Blade sighed but couldn't help but smile at how Dawn had taken such interest. He looked back into the box and started to search through it to see what else he had been called. He stopped when he found a smaller box at the bottom of the package. The Shadow leader carefully lifted it out and removed the lid. Inside was a human combat blade. He'd seen Demon wear one on her armor, and how deadly she could be when using one. Was this some sort of threat, a reminder that she would kill him? He picked out a small datachip that was taped inside the box and looked it over.

Dawn reached over, taking the chip and grabbing the tablet. She slid one into the other, and then handed it back to Blade. He grumbled at her for the action, a bit insulted by her doing it for him, but he took the tablet hesitantly. Blade tapped the sideways triangle that was on the screen and once more Demon's face showed up, but this time she was alone. "Hey there egg beater, guess you found my extra gift. I hid it at the bottom so even if this package was confiscated or examined, they would think it was just kitchen stuff and not find the knife." Blade glanced at the human weapon, still not understanding why she had given it to him. "Now before you over think all of this, I'll just tell you a thing or two about that blade. First, it's my own blade that I'm giving to you. I had it for many years so take care of it. Second, that is the same blade that took half of your face."

Blade reached into the box and gently picked up the knife, looking it over. It didn't seem that special, but he didn't doubt what she was saying in the video. "I know you might be wondering why I'm giving you this knife, which is a good question. I'm giving it to you as a sort of symbol of how our relationship has changed. The last time I used that knife in combat, it was against you - at a time when we were blind enemies, trying to kill each other just because our species were at war. I didn't use it when we fought the Flood; I put it away after we were put on a team together. I raised that blade to you in hatred, the sort of vague hatred that was based off your species, and you trying to kill me. But I'm giving it to you now to symbolize that that past is really behind me. If I raise a blade to you in the future, it will be in hatred for something you did to me personally." Demon smiled and Blade couldn't help but chuckle.

"So I hope you like all your gifts, and I expect to get crap from you once you find out all the things I've called you," Demon continued. "Oh, and when this message finishes give the datachip to Dawn. I also loaded it with information about female warriors from human history. Thought she might like to know that her species isn't alone in there being a struggle for females to be taken seriously. Anyway, have a good X-mas, Shadow Blade."

The screen went back to the picture of the ODSS, and Blade pulled the datachip from the tablet and held it out to Dawn. The female Sangheili took it eagerly, obviously excited to look into the information she'd been sent. Blade carefully put the knife back into the smaller box, and then placed it onto his bed. He grabbed the larger box and placed it on another table in his room. He moved back over to the small box and sat down on the bed. "I will have to get her a gift in return, or is that not a part of the custom?" Blade looked to Dawn who was also sitting on the bed, staring down at a tablet intently. "Pace yourself on looking at that, Wife. I would not want you to run out of information too quickly."

"There is so much," Dawn said, tearing her gaze away from the tablet. "She has included information from thousands of years ago all the way up to recent years. There are so many female warriors. There's even a section of just female Spartans." Blade had never seen her so excited over something before. "I will try to pace myself, I promise, Husband." Blade smiled as his wife returned to her reading and he moved off to find a gift for Demon.

Kathleen laughed as Fred's hand slid under her shirt. "Someone's feeling confident," she teased as he smiled against her neck. He shifted his body so he was more aligned with hers. He had just started to dip his head lower when there was a knock on the door. Fred grumbled and Kathleen sighed. "Get the door, Lieutenant." Fred frowned at her, but Kathleen just pushed against his chest. "The sooner you answer the door the sooner you can come back to all of this." Kathleen motioned to her body and Fred sighed, relenting to her logic.

Kathleen watched him move across his personal quarters to the door as she lounged on the bed. She listened to Fred as he talked to the person on the other side of the doorway. She recognized the voice of Tobias and prepared for Fred to tell her she was needed for something. Kathleen was surprised when Fred shut the door and moved back to Kathleen, now holding a box. "What did he want?"

"You got a package from someone named after a piece of silverware," Fred informed her as he held the box out to her. Kathleen took it and Fred lay back down on the bed with her. "Now, where were we?" His hand moved back to her waist and his head started to dip back to her neck.

Kathleen pushed him away again. "Give me a second. I'm sure you can keep your pants on for that long." Fred grumbled but Kathleen sat up and turned her attention to opening the box. Though when she did, she didn't know what to make of what she found inside.

"Why did someone send you an energy sword?" Fred asked as he set his chin on her shoulder. His arms wrapped around her waist as he shifted to sit behind her.

"If that moron is challenging me to some sort of duel, I'm going to kill him," Kathleen growled, picking out a datachip from the box. "Get me my tablet, Lieutenant." Fred frowned at her again and tightened his grip around her waist. Kathleen only glared at him and Fred relented, deciding not to fight. He released her and leaned over to his bedside table where a tablet was sitting. "Don't complain," Kathleen snapped. "You were closer, and when you hold me like that I don't really have much room to move." She took the tablet from him and let him settle back into his former position.

Kathleen slipped the chip into a port and hit play on the message attached. Kathleen felt Fred's head tilt as the image of the Shadow Leader appeared on the screen. "Happy X-mas, Love. I believe that that would be the proper greeting for a message such as this. I received your gift, and am both pissed and touched at the same time." Kathleen smiled at his use of the rougher, human word. She was sure before she'd spent time with him he would have used a more eloquent word like "furious", not a word like "pissed". "As this seems to be a holiday about exchanging gifts, I don't think I'd be getting a proper understanding of it if I didn't give you a gift as well. So I give you this sword." Kathleen looked to the deactivated energy sword in her other hand. "Just as the knife you sent me was no simple blade, neither is this."

Kathleen raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly he meant. "This was the blade I used on Reach, and on Earth. Yes, it is the blade you think it is. No, I'm not giving it to you for the same reason you gave me the knife. I have kept this blade since I used it on Earth as a reminder of the honor I was supposed to be earning back. At first I wanted that honor back, to correct my failures, but I could not say the same for it today. The events that happened on that planet, on that station, changed everything. Now what that blade become a representation of to me is that that honor was not real honor. The things that I did with that blade were some of the most shameful of acts, done in blind hatred, when I was just doing what I was told. I give this blade to you to signify that I have realized the folly of those actions. I do not regret the fights, the blood that was spilled, or the struggles between us that involved this sword…but I do regret that when I drew it against you, I did not see you for what you were. I did not see you as a warrior like me, an equal in combat." Blade shifted a bit and looked uncomfortable. "Though if I hadn't seen you as a weakling human in the first place, I would have been more prepared and would have killed you long ago."

Kathleen smiled and shifted the sword a bit in her hand. "Anyway, I also returned the gesture of sending a picture of your team, so I have included a file of the Shadows. Goodbye, Love. I hope you will come home to Vadam Keep soon. It is emptier without you…and you are useful for killing an enemy or two." The video message then stopped, and was replaced by a large picture of all of the original Shadows and the Swords.

"Who was that?" Fred asked, causing Kathleen to turn toward him. He'd been quiet and hadn't said a thing while the message had been playing. She'd almost completely forgotten he was there. "And why did he call you 'Love'?"

"That was Shadow Blade," Kathleen answered. "He's a good friend of mine, like a Spartan. And as for why he calls me Love…" Kathleen smirked as she got a rather evil idea. "He calls me love because he sort of has a crush on me. Seems that I remind him of his late wife, so he's grown a bit attached."

Kathleen got the reaction she wanted as Fred tightened his grip protectively around her. "Did you tell him you're someone else's love already?"

"Well the thing is," Kathleen began, looking a bit away from him as though trying to hide something from him. "I was still mad at you the last time I saw you, so at the time I was available."

A look of surprise appeared on Fred's face and he suddenly frowned. "You were not available. We were just having a fight. That does not make you single. Were you really going to dump me for an alien?"

"First of all, Blade isn't an alien, he's my friend. Second, you're the biggest idiot I've ever met. You honestly think that I flirted with a Sangheili?" Kathleen glared at Fred and pushed his arms from her waist. "I can't believe you think I'm that kind of woman."

Fred's brow furrowed but didn't say anything, obviously realizing that anything he said would probably just make things worse. Kathleen sighed in frustration and Fred spoke up. "How did you want me to react?"

"You were supposed to see it as a challenge of your territory and assert your dominance," Kathleen answered. "You're supposed to declare that I'm your mate, hold me close, and then ravish me. Wasn't that obvious?"

Fred nodded and cleared his throat, shifting to sit up a bit taller. "Well, I don't know who this Blade guy is, but I can assure you that he is no comparison to me." Fred's hands moved to her side and he leaned in close to her. "If you want me to play alpha male, I'll show you who is alpha male."

Kathleen shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Like you're an alpha male. You are absolutely my beta."

"Oh am I?" Fred smiled, having accepted the challenge. Kathleen let out a gasp of surprise as Fred tackled her to the bed.


	221. Home

**Pairing:John/Kelly**

**Title: Home**

The grass outside was covered by a thick layer of snow, leaving the military base coated in white. There was hardly any activity; most of the soldiers were staying inside as much as possible to avoid the cold. The snow had been falling off-and-on for almost a week, and it was only a pain to most of the trainees on the base. John had taken advantage of the current weather conditions and had forced the less than thrilled soldiers into a series of winter-warfare exercises. Kelly had also used it as a chance to teach the Spartan-IV Rabbit squads about how to move quickly through the snow, and how to only leave the tracks you wanted others to see. They'd struggled with the task in their armor. Even though she was no longer on active combat duty, Kelly still enjoyed being able to train the Rabbits, and it gave her something to do while Sam was in school during the day.

Kelly stood by the window, watching her son who was playing outside. He was rolling up a large snowball as he tried to make a snowman. Not far away from him was a pile of supplies for decorating once he had the base put together. Kelly had given him a scarf, a hat, and mittens. Sam had scavenged a couple sticks for arms, some rocks for a face, and a carrot from Patches' food supply which they'd moved inside for the winter. The ten-year-old child was undeterred by the freezing weather, and he seemed extra thrilled as he had the day off of school. Kelly had given her soldiers the day off as well - more so she could decorate the house for the holiday, but they had done well in their exercises so it was a fitting reward.

Kelly's gaze turned to the horizon as a warthog came into view and moved down the path that lead to their home. Kelly leaned against the window frame and watched the vehicle approach and park in front of the house. John had not been as nice as Kelly, deciding not to waste a single day of training and had forced his soldiers out into the cold. He climbed out of the car, and Kelly watched him move across the yard to where Sam was trying to assemble his balls of snow into a snowman. John moved to help him, holding the mounds in place while Sam packed more snow around the joints to keep them in together. Kelly smiled as she watched her husband assist their son in sticking the branches into the side of the snowman. Sam started to push his father away and John put up his hands, saying something as he smiled and walked away.

Kelly turned to the door as John walked in, removing his gloves and stuffing them into his pocket. "Coffee in the kitchen," Kelly told him as he unzipped his jacket. She turned back to the window and watched as Sam wrapped a scarf around the snowman's neck, adjusting it in an attempt to make it perfect. Ice cold skin touched Kelly's neck and she jumped, automatically striking back at the offending flesh. John stepped far enough back so that her strike only hit his arm. If she'd hurt him at all he brushed it off like it was nothing. "John, your hands are freezing."

"I know," John laughed as he moved to stand beside her. His arm moved around her waist and Kelly relaxed against his side. "So, did you read Sam's letter yet?" he asked.

Every year Sam had written a letter to Santa Claus, even though he didn't actually believe in Santa. Sam was too smart to believe a story with so many holes, and while most parents these days had adapted Forerunner technology into the story better explain it to their kids, with John's history with Forerunners and their creations they had decided to just be honest with their son. As a result Sam had simply chosen himself what holiday traditions he still wanted to do. One of which was a letter to Santa.

"I haven't read it yet," Kelly answered. "You're Santa after all, it's addressed to you." Kelly stepped away for a moment and picked up a sealed letter from the table and passed it to John. She moved back to his side and watched as he opened the envelope. "Wait," Kelly stopped him, moving away again and returning with a plate of cookies. "You said you always eat a cookie and read his letter."

"You made cookies without me?" John sounded a bit hurt that they'd baked without him. He'd often used baking as a bonding activity with Sam, to a point they always had fresh homemade cookies whenever Kelly would return home. Since she'd retired from active duty though, she'd started taking part and had found it fun as well.

"Sam was bored, and he had already been playing outside all day so he was cold. I was going to package up some of them and give them to Fred and Kathleen. We should probably make a few more batches for Kathleen's team too." Kelly set the plate down on an end table by the couch, picked a cookie up, and placed it in John's hand. "Go ahead."

John started to open the letter, glancing over at the spruce tree that sat in their living room. "Did you not finish the tree?" He was referring to the fact that the lights were off, and the star was missing from the top.

"Sam said he was afraid you'd feel left out, so he left some of it for you to do. He also said you always lift him up to put on the star. I think some traditions should stay the same." Kelly leaned against his side and John finished opening the letter.

"Dear Santa," John began reading. "I know I'm supposed to ask you for something, but I've already gotten what I wanted, so I'm not asking for anything this year. Dad must have wanted the same thing this year too, because you didn't make mom stay home all the other times I asked for it." Kelly furrowed her brow and John only glanced in her direction before he continued. "Since I got what I wanted, and Dad got what he wants, I think you should just focus on what Mom wants this year. If you make her happy, maybe she'll continue to stay. Sincerely, Sam."

John fell silent and Kelly watched him as he stared out the window and ate his cookie. "Does Sam often ask that I stay home?" Kelly asked.

"Does it matter?" John asked, looking down at his cookie. "These are really good; I didn't know you could bake like this." He looked to Kelly and she frowned at him. Her husband sighed and nodded his head. "He's asked for it every year, we both have." John wasn't about to lie to her, and she appreciated the honesty. "I didn't tell you because Sam doesn't understand what saying that kind of thing means, or how it might make you feel."

"He knows exactly what he's writing and exactly who he's writing to. Give him a little credit, John. He wrote that message for you, though he might not have expected you to read it to me." Kelly looked out the window and frowned as she realized Sam was no longer in sight. "Where did he go?"

"He probably went to feed Patches," John answered, looking down at the letter. "If Sam's writing directly to me, then what exactly is he trying to tell me?" John seemed to be having trouble understanding the idea that his son was trying to give him a message without just telling him outright.

"Sam seems to be under the impression that if I'm not happy here at home then I'll go back into combat," Kelly explained. "So he's trying to tell you to do whatever it takes to get me to stay. Do whatever it takes to make me happy." Kelly smiled and turned to John. "That's all Sam wants for the holidays. So, what are you going to do?"

"Well, what do you want?" John asked. Kelly frowned at him and John nodded. "Right, first rule of honest gift giving to loved ones is that you don't just ask them what they want, you get them something that shows you know them." John ate the last of his cookie and turned to his wife. "I'm sure I can think of something that will make you happy." His hands moved to her waist and he pulled her close. "I'm thinking we can start with some nice new sheets for our bed; ones that don't irritate your skin so much so that you use me as a bed to avoid touching them. Then I'll put up mistletoe in all the doorways of the house, so every time we pass through one I have a reason to hold you and tell you how happy I am that you're home."

Kelly smiled and leaned against John. "That seems like a good start." She slowly moved her arms up around his neck and John held her tighter. Kelly turned to watch Sam as he walked into the room. "Did you feed Patches?"

"Yeah, he was super hungry," Sam answered, moving over to his parents.

John released Kelly and turned to his son. "How about you put that star on the top of the tree and we'll light it up." Sam grinned and ran off to get the decoration. Kelly watched as John moved over to the tree and Sam joined him. John reached down and picked their son up, lifting him high enough so Sam could put the star on the top of the tree. Once the star was in place John stepped back and they examined how it looked. "I think it's perfect." John turned to Kelly. "Go ahead and turn the lights on."

"That's supposed to be your job," Kelly pointed out. "We did all the hard work now with the other decorations, so you do your part. Like when I would distract wraiths for you. Now you have to hit it with the rocket launcher."

"I suppose it is my job to finish things off for you. You set them up, I knock them down." John set Sam down and moved around the back of the tree. A few seconds later the tree lit up in a show of red, green, and white. "How does it look?"

"It looks like X-mas," Sam informed his father happily.

"Good, I was afraid it would look like Halloween," John joked as he moved around the tree to join them again. His arm slipped around Kelly's waist as he stood beside her. "What do you think?"

Kelly stared at the tree for a moment before she spoke. "It looks more like Easter to me."

John raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "You do realize you're the one who decorated it. So if it doesn't look like X-mas, that's your fault."

"No, it looked like X-mas until you plugged it in. You must have done it wrong. I'll fix it." Kelly slipped out of John's arm and moved around the tree, ignoring his frown. Kelly unplugged the lights, and then plugged them back in again, moving back to join the others. "See, much better."

"It looks even more like X-mas than before," Sam said, grinning widely. "You're amazing, mom."

"Tell me something I don't know, Sammy." Kelly reached down and ruffled her son's hair. "Shouldn't you go finish your snowman before it gets dark?" she reminded him. Sam nodded and moved out toward the garage where he must have hung up his winter clothing after feeding his pet rabbit.

John waited until he heard the door shut before he spoke. "He is such a momma's boy. I don't know how you manage it, but he always agrees with you."

"Maybe you should read his letter again, and then maybe you'd understand why." Kelly looked to the window as Sam appeared in the front yard again, returning to his winter activity. "He's just trying to make me happy so I stay home. Come to think of it, isn't that what you're supposed to be doing?"

John smiled, and his arm quickly wrapped around her waist once more and he pulled her against his chest. "Well it is what Sam wants for X-mas." John hugged her tighter and grinned. "How about if I cover you in the really warm blanket and go start dinner? Once I've got it started then I'll come out here and join you for some warm, winter cuddling."

"You better hurry then, Johnny, or Sam will finish his snowman and you'll have to share me," Kelly teased.

"You've got a good point. New plan, we cuddle until Sam finishes, then he can keep you company while I make dinner." Kelly was shocked as John suddenly scooped her up in his arms and moved her over to the couch, apparently not willing to wait for her to answer before he set his plan into action. Kelly found herself deposited on the couch while John fetched the blanket. John returned a moment later with the large red quilt that they used only when it got particularly cold.

"You know you don't really have to worry about me leaving. Not anymore." Kelly said, scooting over so that John could sit beside her. He leaned back on the arm of the couch and Kelly leaned over to lie on his chest.

"I know that," John assured her as he pulled the blanket up over them. "But seeing you happy will make Sam happy. And maybe it will finally make him stop asking for that for X-mas, so he can ask for toys instead like a normal kid."

"How would we know what normal kids ask for? When we were his age we would have asked for new combat boots, or for the marines we were fighting to not use live rounds." Kelly wrapped her arms around and under John and set her head on his chest. She smiled as she could hear his laugh, deep and strong, with her ear pressed against his chest.

"I suppose you are right. But I'm fairly sure asking for your mother to come home, and stay home, isn't normal. Or at least not as normal as it would have been during the war." John shifted a bit, pulling them up to be more comfortable lying on the couch. "Though he really wasn't the only one wishing for you to stay," John added casually.

"I'm me John, and you're you. Of course I already knew." Kelly let her eyes close slightly as she basked in the warmth of not only the soft blanket, but also her husband. "I'm home now for good, so you can stop wishing."

John gripped her tighter and Kelly felt him burry his face against her hair. "I'm happy you're home, Bunny."

Kelly let her eyes shut all the way as she relaxed against John. At one time in her life this sort of peace seemed like it would only be able to be sustained for only the blink of an eye; but there was no mission in the future, no date that she'd need to leave by and catch a ship out-system. They finally had achieved the one impossible thing that, throughout the war, the Spartans had agreed even they couldn't manage to attain: a lasting peace. She had her husband and her son, they were together, and they were happy. "I'm so glad to be home," Kelly muttered into the silence.


	222. Infinity New Years

Infinity New Years

Tom stood in the open area of the _Infinity_ mess hall, which had been decorated for the party. There were lights strung up on the maintenance catwalks above, red bunting on the tables of food and drink while the tables for seating all had tablecloths of white and black, the plants decorating the tables had red flowers, and there was dance music being played over the main speakers. The entire crew of Infinity was invited to the New Year's party, and as XO Tom was essentially required to come; though he would have preferred to be spending the evening with his girlfriend. At least she was required to be at the party as well, so he could still spend most of the night with her. Not to mention he liked seeing her in her dress uniform, it was surprisingly attractive to him. And she hated dresses, so he was sure he'd get to see her uniform that night. So at least he had something to look forward to.

"Looking sharp, Commander," Spartan Scruggs said as he walked up to Lasky. The Spartans must have gone out and gotten actual suits tailored for them, as Scruggs was wearing a gray suit that fit him perfectly. "You Navy clean up good."

"Well if you're an officer dressing up is sort of a part of the job. Impressions matter, so you learn to make good ones." Tom adjusted the knot of his tie to be sure it was straight. "I hope you'll enjoy the party, I hear the cooks made some good food for the occasion."

"As long as there's an open bar I'm sure I'll enjoy myself," Scruggs joked. "Maybe I'll find a lovely woman to dance with, might even be my midnight kiss." The Spartan looked around the room, searching for prospects. He stopped and a look of surprise crossed his face as he stared at something across the room. Tom turned in the same direction, and was stunned by the woman he saw standing there. "I think I just found my midnight kiss," Scruggs commented.

Tom frowned, not happy with the Spartan's assertion or his attitude toward the woman. "You might as well start looking for another candidate. I have more of a chance at getting her to kiss me at midnight than you." Tom kept his tone calm, not giving away his annoyance so it would come off more as a taunt.

Scruggs frowned and turned to Tom. "You really think you have more game then me, Commander?" Tom smiled, knowing without a doubt that he had more of a chance than the Spartan. "All right, how about we make a bet? We see who gets a kiss from her by the end of the night. If I win, you pull some strings and get me the empty room that I've been requesting for months now. "

Tom considered the stakes and shrugged. "All right, but if I win you get me some time in the simulator."

Scruggs considered it for a moment, and then smiled. "You're on." He adjusted his collar slightly. "Watch how a real man works." He moved across the room and Tom followed him toward the woman. "Hey there, Palmer. Looking damn sexy tonight."

Tom had to admit that Scruggs was right, Palmer did look particularly attractive but she seemed unreceptive to his confident attitude. It surprised Tom that Sarah was actually wearing a dress, as the female Spartan had always asserted she'd never wear one. It was even more of a surprise that she was wearing a strapless white dress that hung down to just above her knees. Her hair was down, out of its usual ponytail, and was pinned back behind her ears by a pair of sparkling red hairpins. What made Tom feel awkward though, was that she'd worn heels that lifted her up so that if he was looking straight forward at her it would leave him staring at an inappropriate place.

"Why don't your eyes wander somewhere else, Scruggs. They aren't welcome here." Palmer seemed uncomfortable, unsure of how to really hold herself in a dress. She loosely crossed her arms, obviously aware of how crossing her arms might affect her chest, and she seemed absolutely uninterested in attracting more of Scrugg's attention.

Tom stepped forward and he noticed Palmer's eyes look to him. Tom smiled slightly; making sure it was just a small friendly smile. "Good evening, Spartan Palmer. That is a beautiful dress you're wearing, but isn't it a bit unfair? You already beat all the other women on the battlefield, do you have to beat them in the ballroom as well?" Tom's smile slipped to one that was a bit more than just friendly, and he was pleased to see Sarah return it.

"Smooth dresser and a smooth tongue, the ladies better watch out for you, Commander Lasky." Sarah smiled a bit wider as she teased him back. "I hope you wore a cup, Scruggs," Sarah said as she turned to the other Spartan IV. "Keep talking to women like that, and you'll be getting a lot of knees to the balls tonight."

"Come on, Palmer, can't I complement you without getting a threat?" Scruggs asked, taking a step toward Palmer. She stepped away from him and closer to Tom. Scruggs grumbled a bit. "I basically said the same thing as he did," he motioned toward Lasky. "Just with less flowery language."

"And that flowery language is the difference between being charming, and being an asshole," Palmer countered. "You could learn more than a few things from the Commander about how to talk to a woman."

"I'm very flattered, Palmer," Tom said pleasantly, dropping her rank from her name to make the conversation less formal. "I always try to treat all women with respect." Palmer smiled, obviously pleased with his response. Tom looked to Scruggs and decided to risk taking another dig and the male Spartan. "Maybe you should use some more flattering language if you hope to get a midnight kiss."

Scruggs looked annoyed and Sarah frowned. "That midnight kiss thing is a stupid tradition. I don't see what the point of it is."

"My girlfriend thinks the same way," Tom said casually. The comment earned him surprised looks from both Scruggs and Palmer. "She's not a big fan of traditions, particularly affectionate ones."

"You have a girlfriend?" Scruggs asked, seemingly upset.

"How is that a surprise, Scruggs?" Palmer cut in. "What would be a surprise is if you said that you had a girlfriend. Lasky has class, treats a woman right, and holds a better job than you." Scruggs scowled at her and Palmer only glared back.

Tom decided that he should now slip in and play peacemaker. "This is a party, we should all be relaxing. What I was trying to say is that to some people traditions don't make a holiday a holiday. Personally traditions mean a lot to me, but Palmer isn't forced to see holidays the same way as you or I, Scruggs." Tom turned to Palmer when he spoke again. "Are there any New Year's traditions that you celebrate?"

"The only other real tradition there is would be drinking champaign, and I don't drink," Palmer answered. "Though if you keep talking like that I might reconsider that midnight kiss tradition."

"He has a girlfriend," Scruggs reminded her.

"So? Girlfriend, not wife," Palmer argued. "Besides, there's no harm in just a kiss. I'm not asking him to screw me in the bathroom. It's a kiss, nothing serious, so calm down."

"Not my wife yet," Tom corrected. Palmer scowled at him and Scruggs looked confused. "My girlfriend isn't my wife yet, but that doesn't mean never," he tried to explain. "Although I think she wouldn't mind me sharing a midnight kiss with Palmer."

"Yeah sure, there's definitely a woman that doesn't mind you locking lips with another woman," Scruggs said sarcastically.

"Well a midnight kiss really isn't romantic," Tom explained. "It's supposed to be a bond for the New Year, and kissing Palmer would be like dedicating the New Year to strengthening my bond with the Spartans."

"You could kiss Scruggs," Palmer teasingly suggested. "He is a Spartan…technically." Scruggs frowned at the jab but kept quiet.

"I highly doubt he's as good of a kisser as you," Tom countered. "And I'm sure his lips aren't as soft."

Palmer smiled and took one step toward Lasky, leaning over a bit. "I told you that if you kept talking like that I'd reconsider what traditions I partake in." Palmer smirked in a manner that made Tom blush slightly. "Come find me around midnight." She then gracefully turned and walked away from the two men. Tom tried to keep his eyes on her shoulder, watch the way they moved as she walked, but he couldn't help but glance down as her hips swayed with each step.

"Maybe your girlfriend wouldn't mind a midnight kiss, but I think she'd mind you watching Palmer's ass," Scruggs commented. Tom didn't know how to argue against that, so he looked to the male Spartan to keep his eyes off the female Spartan. "How exactly did you do that anyway?" Scruggs asked as he crossed his arms. "How did you convince Palmer to kiss you when you have a girlfriend? Actually, scratch that - how'd you get her to agree to kiss you at all?"

"Palmer and I have an understanding, and a good working relationship. Not to mention I treated her like a lady I was interested in courting, used flattering language, and also treated her with respect. Women like that." Tom looked in the direction Palmer had gone. "Now if you don't mind, I think it would raise my profile a bit to get a dance with a beautiful woman, so I'm going to go find Palmer."

"Good luck with that one," Scruggs muttered. "Palmer never dances at things like this. There are some things that even flattery can't help you achieve."

"Well I like to challenge myself," Tom said casually before he walked away. He found Palmer standing with Captain Del Rio, who was talking about something. From the look on the woman's face she was just being pleasant to be polite. Tom decided that it was a situation he could easily take advantage of. Tom approached them, catching their attention. "Good evening, Captain," he greeted politely.

"Evening, Commander. I hope that you're enjoying the party." Del Rio smiled courteously.

"I am, but I'm wondering if I might be able to barrow Spartan Palmer. I believe she owes me a dance and I think I like the current selection of songs." Tom held his hand out to Palmer like a lifeline.

"If you'll excuse me, Captain," Palmer smiled and took Tom's hand, allowing him to lead her toward the dance floor. "Thanks for that, he was babbling about some ship upgrades or something."

"I figured as much from the look on your face. I know you don't really find that stuff interesting." Tom continued to lead them to where there were couples dancing to the band that was playing some slow music. Palmer didn't fight him so he kept going, considering the lack of resistance as her agreeing to his intentions. "I think you'll like the extra bonus of rubbing a bit of salt in Scrugg's wound by showing him that you will dance, just only with me."

Palmer smirked, stopping with Tom as they reached the dance floor. "Well I do always like to hurt his pride," she admitted. "And I do find all that ship stuff...boring. Tell me about the scans of the terrain, or of what gear we've got, and you've got my attention. But ships like this, those are more interesting to my boyfriend."

Tom raised an eyebrow, surprised by the admission. "You have a boyfriend?" Tom set his hands on her waist. Her hands moved to his shoulder and Tom kept a bit of distance, because if he got too close he'd have a face full of inappropriate flesh. "If you have a boyfriend then why are you going to be kissing me at midnight?"

"Well you said it yourself, it's not really a romantic action, one more of friendship in the New Year." Palmer let Tom take the lead and he was surprised at how smoothly he moved with her. Considering how easily she could take down enemies in the field, he supposed he'd foolishly expected her to not be quite so graceful, or willing to let someone else take charge. "Besides, I don't think he would mind."

"And why exactly wouldn't he mind? Is he not the jealous type?" Tom asked causally, trying to remind himself to keep his head tilted up.

"He's not really that jealous of a man, but he really wouldn't see you as a threat." Palmer's hands moved over his shoulders, smoothing over his suit.

"I'm not a threat, am I?" Tom smiled, gently moving his hands a bit up her waist. "Maybe not yet, but once you've felt these lips he might have to reconsider how much of a threat I am." Palmer laughed lightly and her arms moved to partially wrap around his neck in a more comfortable position. "I have to admit I was surprised that you even owned a dress, or allowed it to take up room in your foot locker."

"Well I got this thing for my boyfriend to surprise him," Palmer explained. "I figured now was the only time I'll ever get to wear it. Though he still gets the privilege of ripping this it off me later tonight; it's sort of supposed to be gift for him."

Tom let his eyes dip down as far as her neck before forcing his gaze back up to her face. "He's certainly a lucky man. My girlfriend isn't big on dresses, so if she wore one I'd consider it one of the best gifts I could get."

"Well maybe you'll get lucky and she'll dress up just for you." Palmer's fingers moved along the edge of his hair and she frowned. "Your hair is getting a bit long. You should think about getting it trimmed to better meet regulations."

"I hadn't realized it had gotten so long, thanks for pointing that out, Palmer." Tom made a mental note to get his hair cut as soon as possible. Then, to his disappointment, the song that they had been dancing to came to an end. Tom slowly stopped and reluctantly removed his hands from her waist. "Thank you for the dance, Palmer. How about we head over to the drink table and see if there's anything good."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Palmer agreed, following Tom off the dance floor and toward the table set up with a selection of beverages. Once they had something to drink they sat down at one of the tables. The only good part of it was that Palmer was at more of a normal height now, and Tom didn't have to crane his neck up as much. They sat at the table for some time, talking about the party and Palmer pointed out Spartans he might want to get to know because they were showing promise.

It was nearing midnight when Scruggs made a surprise appearance, plopping down into a seat across from Tom. "Well, almost that time," he said in an eager voice.

"And why are you bothering us?" Palmer snapped, obviously not trusting the male Spartan's odd excitement.

"It's almost that time," Scruggs said again, as though that was all the answer they needed. Tom didn't quite get it but Palmer seemed to get more agitated. "Come on, Palmer, can you blame a guy. If the Commander chickens out on you I'm here to be your fall-back."

"Lasky isn't going to chicken out on me," Palmer asserted. Scruggs huffed, not believing her. Tom felt insulted, but he really should have expected this. Palmer didn't know about the bet, he hadn't told her for fear she'd get upset, but Scruggs would want to be sure that Tom actually won and didn't just claim he did. "Go find some other poor woman to pester so she can shoot you down."

"Why do you have to be so mean?" Scruggs asked, seeming a bit agitated.

"Because we were having a nice time, and then you come and not only invade our space but also insult Lasky," Palmer pointed out. "Why would that not annoy me?"

"I didn't know that the Commander needed to be defended by you," Scruggs countered. "He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

Tom decided to step in before things became more heated. "I don't think Palmer is defending me, only stating that she feels your words were disrupting her good time. I, for one, am still enjoying our time together," Tom said, turning to Palmer. He was rewarded with a smile from the female Spartan that seemed to erase her agitation.

All three of them turned to the stage where the band was set up as they called attention. The screen behind them, which had been showing pictures from the last year, lit up with a big clock. Tom was surprised by the sudden nervous feeling as he realized he'd have to kiss Palmer with Scruggs watching. The clock started to count down and Tom froze, not sure what to do. Luckily his partner hadn't frozen. When the clock reached zero Tom found his face being turned and lips pressing against his. Palmer's lips were soft and gently pressed against his own. The kiss was over almost as soon as it had started and Tom sat silently in his chair.

"Really, that was it?" Scruggs spoke up, snapping Tom out of his stunned state.

"It's a kiss, Scruggs, it's not a midnight make-out," Palmer snapped. "You're just jealous that I got to kiss Lasky and you didn't." Scruggs glared at the woman but Palmer seemed to ignore it. "Well, that was probably the most exciting thing that's going to happen tonight so I'm done with this party." Palmer stood from her seat and Tom watched her slightly adjust her dress. "I'm going to go get some sleep, enjoy the rest of the party, and try not to get puked on by any of the drunks." She turned and looked at Tom. "And thank you, Commander. I look forward to a new year with a strong working relationship between you and the Spartans." She smiled slightly before she turned and walked into the crowd, leaving Tom with Scruggs.

"Well, I guess you win," the male Spartan reluctantly admitted. "I'll make sure to get you some training time." Scruggs stood up and sulked off, defeated.

Tom stayed at the party for a bit longer, joining in toasting champaign to celebrate the new year before he finally left the festivities. He returned to his quarters, enjoying the particular quiet there seemed to be in the officers' section of the ship. The door to his room slid open and he stopped for a moment before he stepped inside and closed the door. He loosened his tie and moved over to the bed. "Happy New Year's, Sarah."

"Happy New Year's, Tom," Sarah returned, shifting from where she was sitting on the bed so she could reach out and grab his tie. "I told you that you had to wait for your X-mas gift."

"It was worth the wait," Tom admitted, letting her pull him down to sit on the bed. "And it was certainly a surprise."

"I wanted to give you something special," Sarah explained, setting her arms on his shoulder. "Now, how about a proper New Year's kiss? One without an audience." Sarah pulled him in and Tom eagerly closed the space. His hands pulled her closer as the kiss became more passionate. It only ended when Tom suddenly found himself pushed down onto the bed and Sarah pinning him there. She laughed as she settled into place and Tom couldn't help but laugh as well. "You know the last time we had sex was in fifty-six. What do you say we ring in fifty-seven properly?"

Tom smiled and Sarah let him switch their positions. "Here's to new and worthwhile experiences in the new year. Maybe we'll get lucky and it will be an exciting year." Sarah laughed and Tom found it infectious. Next year would likely be just like the last, just like all the years before…but as long as it meant that he and Sarah would be together, just like last year was fine in Tom's opinion.


	223. Eleven

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

**Title: Eleven**

Kelly stuck the last of the candles through the layer of icing and into the moist cake below. She counted out the candles and was satisfied with their placement. She grabbed the lighter on the counter and made sure each candle was lit before she made one last check, wanting to be sure everything was absolutely perfect. The door to the kitchen opened and Kelly looked over to John as he carefully stepped in, keeping the door as closed as he could. The sound of children was loud from the other room as they cheered about something.

"Is the cake ready?" John asked as he moved up to Kelly's side. "They're getting restless." He reached over to try to steal a bit of icing but Kelly smacked his hand away. "Hey, I just wanted a taste."

"You have to wait like everyone else, and you're not messing up my icing. Everything is perfect on my end as long as you did everything perfect." Kelly picked up the tray the cake was on. "Are you sure he'll make the wish you think he will?"

"He makes the same wish every year," John assured her, stepping back so she could turn and pass the tray to him. "I did everything on my end," he added before moving to the doorway. He turned his back to the door and pushed it open, being greeted by sounds of excitement. The door shut and Kelly moved over to it, moving her ear a bit closer to listen to what was happening on the other side. She heard the chorus of happy birthday in the other room and she waited until it quieted down and she heard the words she was waiting for.

Kelly pushed the door open and she moved silently into the room. The table was crowded with children, all Sam's friends from school. There were balloons tied to the edge of the table, festive signs hung up, and everyone was wearing paper party hats.

Sam was sitting at the table, his back turned to Kelly and sitting at the table before the cake. She knew that his eyes were closed and that he had no idea that she'd come in. "All right, now blow your candles out," John instructed.

Sam took a deep breath and blew out all eleven of the candles. "Perfectly done," Kelly said, leaning down behind her son.

Sam whipped around, his eyes wide as he looked at his mother. He suddenly flung his arms around Kelly's neck and hugged her tight. "Mom, you're home. But you left three days ago. How'd you get back?"

"I never left, the rabbits left without me. I was here the whole time," Kelly explained hugging her son back.

"But I saw you leave, we even waved goodbye and watched your board the Pelican." Sam had stood with his father on the airfield and watched Kelly board a Pelican that went up to the ship. "How did I not know you were home?"

"I'm the elite leader of a company that partially majors in quick stealthy hits on enemy recon targets; I think I can hide from my own son, particularly when I have your father to scout for me." Kelly looked to John who simply smiled. Kelly had left on the Pelican but just come back down when another had come back to base to pick up more soldiers. He'd snuck in food for her and he'd given her updates on where Sam was so she could avoid him. "I didn't leave that day, and I'm not ever leaving again," she assured him.

"You mean it?" Sam asked, leaning back a bit, seeming to be hesitant to believe her. Kelly nodded and Sam grinned as he hugged his mother again. "I'm so happy you're here."

"I'm glad I could be here, Sammy." Kelly released her son and stood back up. "Now how about we cut the cake and serve it before your father eats all the icing off."

"Hey, I was behaving," John complained, grabbing the knife. "Just for that you're getting the smallest piece." John started to cut into the cake into squares to pass around to the children.

Sam clung tight to Kelly, his grip staying strong. "I'll give you some of mine," he offered. "That way you don't have less cake."

"You're so sweet, Sammy." Kelly loosened her grip on him. "You're growing up to become a fine young man." Sam finally let her go so John could pass him a piece of cake.

The cake had turned out better than Kelly had hoped and in no time there was nothing left. Sam cut off part of his piece and snuck it onto Kelly's plate, despite the fact that John hadn't given her a smaller piece. Once that had all been cleaned up they moved on to opening presents. By the time Sam had finished unwrapping his gifts he'd gotten half a dozen toys from some series about dragons or mutant dinosaurs, Kelly wasn't sure which. Once the children had all been picked up by their parents and Kelly had fully cleaned the dishes from her earlier cooking she joined John who was sitting on the couch, watching their son play with his new toys.

John draped his arm over Kelly's shoulder as she settled onto the couch with him. "So did you like all the gifts you got?" Kelly asked.

Sam turned to look at his mother. "I love them all," he answered, setting his toys up in a line. "But you're the best gift."

Kelly smiled at her son's words. "Seems he got your charm," she commented to John. Her husband grinned and hugged Kelly a bit closer. "I think he's ready for his present."

"I think you're right, Bunny. I'll got get it." John removed his arm and stood up, moving out of the room and toward the garage.

Sam watched his father walk away and then turned to Kelly. "But I thought you staying home was my present," He said, looking annoyed in his confusion. "I don't need anything else."

"I was going to stay home no matter what," Kelly informed him. "I just wanted to surprise you with the news for your birthday, but it wasn't your gift. Now close your eyes and turn around." Sam hesitated for a moment before he shut his eyes and did as she told him. Kelly looked up as John entered the room, present in hand. Kelly grinned as John moved over and knelt down in front of Sam. "All right, not open your eyes."

Sam's eyes opened and his mouth dropped open as his eyes widened. He looked up to his father and then to Kelly, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing. "You got me a bunny?" he asked, still alternating between looking at each of his parents.

"We think that you're ready for the responsibility of a pet," John explained, shifting the black and white spotted rabbit in his arms. "And you said that you wanted a rabbit. Do you want to hold him?"

Sam nodded his head, holding out his arms. John showed him where to support the rabbit's legs and passed the animal over to their son. Sam held the rabbit carefully in his arms, still beaming with joy. "Happy birthday, Sam," Kelly said, placing a kiss on her overjoyed son's head. John smiled at her as their son nuzzled his head against the top of his new bunny's head.


	224. Cuddle

**Title: Cuddle**

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

Kelly laughed as she landed on the bed, John putting out a hand to catch himself so he didn't crush her under him. His face nuzzled her neck and the arm around her waist tightened. Kelly turned away from the midday sun that streamed into their room, turning to bury her face against his hair. Kelly's arms moved around his neck and upper body, returning the grip. John eased himself down so his other arm could slip around his wife in a vice like grip. John mumbled something against Kelly's neck but she couldn't quite make out the words. Kelly made a confused sound and John readjusted his head so he wouldn't be talking against her skin. "Can I have an appreciation hour?"

Kelly considered her schedule and figured that she could give him at least an hour. "All right, I'll set an alarm." John let her go and Kelly slipped away from him enough to reach one side of the bed. She set an alarm for a hour from the closes I crimsons of ten. Lethe knew that John would hit the snooze on the alarm two to three times before he'd actually let their hour expire and even then he'd grumble for just a few more minutes. The name 'appreciation hour' had been Kelly's idea but the actual activity had been John's. He'd wanted them to spend an hour just cuddling and enjoying that they were both alive. Kelly had called it appreciation hour as they were spending an hour appreciating each other's survival.

"Get over here," John said as his arms suddenly wrapped around Kelly's torso and she was suddenly pulled back against John's chest. He lay down on his back, Kelly settling on his chest. "You're wasting precious time."

Kelly laughed and turned in his arms so they were face to face. "You're so greedy," Kelly teased as she settled in with her head on John's shoulder. John moved a hand up to her hair, brushing his fingers against the short locks. Kelly smiled at the gentle affection and the way that his nose touched against the top of her head. They fell into a comfortable silence, Kelly focusing on the sound of John's steady breathing. Kelly really loved these peaceful times between them, just her and John, not worrying about any duties or Sam needing them.

As it often did during one of their appreciation hours the time slipped by faster than either of them wanted. The sound of the alarm going off was like needles in Kelly's ears. She wanted it to shut up and just let them be for a little while longer. John moved, rolling them over so Kelly was under him, allowing him to hit the snooze on the alarm. Silence fell again but John just moved down so that he was cuddled against Kelly's chest, his forehead against her shoulder. Kelly moved a hand to the back of John's head, messing with his hair slightly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. As she had expected the next two times that the alarm went off.

When he hit it a third time Kelly tried to move out of his arms, knowing that if she let him continue they'd be there for the rest of the day. "John, we have to get going. We still have things to get done." John grumbled and Kelly laughed at his reluctance. "I know you don't want to get up."

John held onto her a bit tighter. "Just a little longer. One more snooze," he tried to bargain.

Kelly rubbed her fingers gently against his neck, enjoying the feeling of his skin and the strong muscle under it. "You're just a big ass cuddle machine of love," she said, shaking her head slightly. "How about instead we go to bed an hour earlier so we can cuddle for a while longer?"

John considered the offer for a few seconds. "Only if we wait until the next time the alarm goes off," he countered.

"Deal," Kelly agreed, knowing that she had to compromise a little. She glanced over at the clock, checking the time and calculating how much longer they had. She settled in to enjoy the last bit of peace before they had to return to their duties. It was about ten minutes later when Kelly realized that it was past when the alarm should have gone off. "John?" He made a slight sound that he'd heard her. "Did you turn the alarm off?" John didn't say anything and Kelly knew she'd hit the nail on the head. "I can't believe you would misdirect me like that."

"Not my fault you didn't check to be sure the alarm was still on." John snuggled a bit closer, smiling at the fact that he'd outsmarted her.

"Last time I trust you," Kelly muttered, pushing John's head a bit away from her in an effort to make him get up. "You cheated so get up."

"No, a deal is a deal," John refused, holding tighter. "I get to cuddle you until the alarm goes off."

Kelly sighed, knowing that she had agreed to take his deal, and she should have suspected he'd done something when he agreed so easily. She considered her options and finally grabbed the edge of the bed, pulling herself toward the alarm. John tried to stop her but she was easily able to move her arm away from his grip. She turned on the alarm and changed the time, relaxing back onto the bed. "You have five minutes," she warned him. John huffed but didn't make any other acknowledgment of her action. Kelly placed a kiss on the top of his head, relaxing in his arms for the remaining five minutes.


	225. Fight Me

**Title: Fight Me **

**Pairing: Palmer/Lasky**

Tom watched the woman beside him sleep, enjoying the peaceful moment. She had practically fallen into bed, exhausted from her day. When Tom had gotten home she'd already been out, so much so that she hadn't woken as he got undressed and slid into bed. Usually Sarah was a light sleeper so Tom took advantage of it to do something she usually hated, touch her while she was sleeping. His fingers trailed over her arms, moving along scars when he reached them. He didn't know where most of them had come from, but he could remember seeing some of them when they were still new and red. His fingers slowly traveled to her shoulder, always watching to be sure she didn't wake up.

His finger moved along the strap of her bra, examining the way the black fabric stood out against her pale skin. He moved past it, finger trailing down her spine to just above her rear. He hesitated for a moment before his finger slowly moved back up to where he knew her skin was marked by ink. He moved his arm so that he could prop himself up to a point he'd be able to look at the markings. The first time he'd seen the tattoo he was surprised by it and the memories it had brought up.

His finger traced along the outline of the skull, following the curved lines. He could remember when he'd received the video from his brother, showing off his new tattoo and the warning Tom not to tell their mother. The lines of his brother's tattoo had been sharp, similar looking to the drop pods that he'd used. Even the four letters at the bottom of his brother's tattoo had been angled and pointed. Tom's finger moved to outline the fire that surrounded the skull on Sarah's back. The lines of the skull and fire were smooth, so much so that sometimes the fire looked like it was moving when she'd move. She had forgone the letters; anyone that saw it would know what it meant. Sarah had said she wasn't really big on tattoos, so it was the only one she'd gotten - the traditional final stage of becoming a Helljumper.

Tom's finger started to move up and down her spine over the tattoo that stretched over about half her back. When he'd been young his brother had been his hero, a strong confident soldier who knew how to fight. He always seemed happy; unless it was right before a drop or battle, then he was more serious. He'd always believed in Tom, always told him never to give up and to keep moving forward. He'd gone through so many missions, drops, firefights, and close calls with death. Tom had though his brother was invincible. He was an ODST, the troops that were sent in to turn the tide of battle. He thought that until his mother sent him a message, informing him of his brother's death. The news had shaken Tom's life, and it would take him a long time to get over it. Though even now he was unsure if he could even say he really was.

Before his brothers death, he'd never really been faced with the mortality of other soldiers, particularly ODST. They were the toughest soldiers humanity had and they seemed unbreakable. But being an ODST didn't save his brother, and these days he feared that being an ODST wouldn't save Sarah. He worried about her more than he'd ever worried about his brother. His brother taught him that ODST were mortal, and Sarah's war stories reminded him that they were put on the most dangerous missions. Tom leaned over and he pressed his lips to the bottom of the tattoo. What if one day he'd get a message from one of her teammates, breaking the news that she hadn't made it? His lips moved up her spine a bit more. What if she was left bleeding on some forgotten street? His hand moved to unhook her bra as he kissed a bit higher. What if her pod malfunctioned and she didn't even die fighting, just burned up on the way down? Tom set his cheek against the tattoo and let himself lay on her back, enjoying her warmth and the sound of her breathing. He tried to imagine Sarah not being around, another person sitting on the other end of the couch, cooking food for himself because his new roommate wasn't as willing to try any food as Sarah, and lying in bed alone or even with another woman. The very thought unsettled him and made him feel miserable. He lifted his head and placed kisses along the marking.

"Tom, stop it," Sarah muttered, sounding half asleep. Tom continued to kiss her back, unable to let go of his fears and his thoughts. What if her Pelican was shot down unfairly after a hard mission? "Tom, stop," Sarah asserted, this time more forcefully. Tom nuzzled against her spine and his hands gripped her sides a bit more. He knew he'd have to move out of the apartment if she died. There would be too many memories to haunt him and he'd come home from his dream position on _Infinity_ to the depression of their empty home. "Tom!" Sarah suddenly jerked up and to the side, tossing Tom off of her back. He landed on his own side of the bed but had to grab the sheets to keep himself from bouncing off. He looked to Sarah who was glaring at him. "What have I told you about that?" she scolded.

Tom looked away, not wanting to admit to his guilt. They'd talked about it before and Sarah knew what he'd been thinking about, which had caused his affection to the tattoo. It was stupid of him, the way he focused on it, but it was like a symbol of her mortality, of her life, and if he touched and kissed it enough he'd never have to answer the questions he thought up. Tom pulled himself more onto the bed, closer to her and further from the edge. He knew that Sarah would glare at him until he answered the question. "Don't do it."

Sarah sat up and reached back, latching her bra back into place. "I've told you time and time again not to. There's no point to it and it only hurts you in the end. So stop." Sarah lay down with her back on the mattress. "I just don't see why you let yourself think like that."

"It's not like I chose it, Sarah." Tom sat up and leaned against the wall at the head of their bed. "It just sort of happens and then I can't stop it. It gets rolling and I end up thinking about how if you died I'd never be able to sell your games because I couldn't stand to get rid of them and would probably start playing them to try to feel close to you." Tom's hand moved over toward her chest and where the scar from a needler round had injured her.

Sarah smacked his hand away and scowled at him, disapproving. "If I die you're going to sell or give away my stuff, find a new roommate to help with the rent, and then find a new woman. Preferably one that's interested in being a mother with a safe job."

Tom was not happy with her response and he frowned down at his girlfriend. "I think I get to choose how I react to your death. If I don't want anyone else I'll die alone missing you and you don't get a say, you'd be dead."

"If I die you move on, that's final. Don't fight me about this." Sarah rolled over onto her side, back to Tom. He didn't like her asserting her will like that over his emotions. Tom decided that in retaliation he'd assert a bit himself. He placed a hand on her shoulder and while she wasn't expecting it he flipped her onto her stomach. He leaned down and nuzzled against the ODST tattoo.

"Tom!" Sarah jerked and knocked him off of her before he could get a good grip. "You're insufferable." Before he could stop her she slipped out of bed and was out the bedroom door.

Tom groaned, realizing that he'd pushed it too far. He hadn't had the right to force a form of affection she didn't want, that she told him not to do. He lay on the bed for a little while, head resting on her pillow. He pondered what to do for a couple minutes before he finally forced himself to sit up. He hesitated for a moment before he rapped his knuckle against the wall, the pattern he'd used since CAMS. The seconds passed by, Tom holding his breath as he begged for a response. He wondered if she'd gone to sleep, which wouldn't be good. He didn't like going to sleep right after an argument; he either woke up still feeling pissed, or just guilty. His thought was cut short when he heard Sarah knock back from the other side of the wall.

Tom got out of bed and made his way to the other bedroom in the apartment. Tom didn't know why they kept it all of these years or why when they moved to Earth that they'd even set it up. They'd moved to Earth almost a year before Reach had fallen, as for the both of them the Sol system was their home. With Sarah being from Luna and Tom having been born on Mars, Earth was common ground, but the timing had just been luck. He opened the door slowly into the familiar room that Sarah had decorated to her own taste, as though it were still her room and she actually slept in it. It contained all of her war trophies that Tom had felt were unsettling to have in their bedroom. He had suggested that she replace the bed with a couch and tv but she'd turned that down, indicating that she preferred playing games in the living room.

Sarah was sitting up in the bed, back leaning against the wall that separating the two rooms. Tom crossed the space and sat down on the bed beside her. She didn't look at him, just stared at the wall. Tom struggled for words, trying to figure out how best to start. He was surprised when Sarah spoke first, and her words stung. "You're the one that taught me that if someone says no it means no - even in a relationship."

Tom sighed, and leaned against the wall beside her. "I did. I'm sorry, Sarah. I even did it out of spite because I felt like I was being bullied. It's no excuse for doing something you specifically have told me not to do. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Sarah turned to him and she took a deep breath. "I love your touch, Tom, I welcome it. I just don't welcome you obsessing over things that you shouldn't worry about. It's pointless to worry about the future." Sarah reached over and her finger brushed the edge of his hairline. "I'd rather you thought about more pleasant things for the future. Like if you have to wear your uniform when we get married."

Tom smiled, knowing that she was trying to cheer him up. But at least she had forgiven him, in her own sometimes-hard-to-understand words. He slipped an arm around her waist and moved a bit closer to the marine. "So, if I were to die would you find someone else?" Sarah groaned and rolled her eyes. "What? It's only fair. If I have to find someone else, then shouldn't you?"

"No. I'm not finding another man if you die," Sarah informed him.

"How exactly is that fair? If you can force me, shouldn't I be able to force you to find a new man." It seemed logical to Tom, and fairer, for them to be treated equally.

"Because for a woman like me, there's only one guy like you. If you tried to find another woman you could easily get a sweet person who could be everything you want. If I try to find another man I'll just end up with another one of those jerks that's going to cheat on me and break my heart. I'm only ever going to have one man that's going to treat me as well as you - and that is you." Sarah leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Now can we stop talking about this? We can just agree not to die and put this all to sleep." She let her head rest against his shoulder and her arms moved around his waist. "I won't die so you don't have to find someone else, and you won't die so that I don't have to be alone. Deal?"

Tom slid his other arm around her and hugged her against him. "Deal." It was a pointless deal, as neither of them could guarantee that they wouldn't die, but the intent was there and he took comfort in her warmth and nuzzled her hair slightly, settling in with her tucked against him. "Can we at least to back to our room? I don't feel comfortable with that Zealot helmet staring at me." Tom glanced up at the cracked Sangheili helmet that hung on the wall.

"Only if you carry me," Sarah answered. Tom sighed, knowing that he couldn't manage it. She was just too tall in his arms for him to make it to their room without hitting her head on the doorframe. He decided to just give in and slid down to lay on the bed. Sarah moved with him, keeping herself close as they moved. They settled in for the night and Tom started to drift off. "Would you worry less if I was a Spartan?" Tom wasn't sure if he'd dreamed the question, or if Sarah had actually asked it. He may have mumbled a soft 'yes', but he wasn't sure if even that had really happened before he fully succumbed to sleep.


	226. Zip Me

**Title: Zip Me**

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

Kelly's eyes slowly opened as she came awake and she was brought out of cryo-sleep. She flexed her hands and toes as she waited for the lid of her tube to finish opening. She climbed out of the chamber and leaned over, letting the clear liquid drain from her mouth. Some of the fluid caught in her throat however and she coughed, choking slightly. Suddenly a hand smacked her on the back and the lodged goo came loose, allowing her to spit it out. The hand remained on her back and she looked over to see John beside her.

"Can't keep your hands off me, can you?" She teased, straightening up. Her memories of their time together before going into cryo were still fresh, and his touch brought them all back.

"You're a hard woman to keep my hands off of," John admitted. "Did you sleep well?" His hand moved over her skin lightly before he removed it completely.

"Could have been better," Kelly answered. "I was cold, and I could have used another body to warm me up." Kelly smirked and started to walk toward the showers. She could hear John's steps following behind her, matching her pace as best he could. She slowed just a bit to make it easier on him and give him the chance to catch up if he wanted to. He remained behind, staying exactly at pace with her. "Like the view?" she teased.

John didn't respond, but she hadn't expected him to. This was a rather public place and John was always cautious. She didn't mind it; she'd grown used to how careful he was and knew it came from a good place. He wanted to continue their relationship, but didn't want to risk any trouble for either of them by making it public. She didn't really need him to answer anyway, the fact that he was following her said it all.

They entered the showers to rinse off, where Fred was already scrubbing the last of the cryo-fluid out of his hair. Like flipping a switch, John went into leader-mode. "Fred, once you're in your armor I want you to go down to the hangar and check over whatever our transport is." Fred nodded and Will entered from the cryo-tube side of the showers. "Will, be sure to gather equipment and weapons for the whole team once you're armored up. Take Linda with you."

"Yes sir," Will said as he moved to one of the showers.

"You don't get a job?" Fred asked, looking to Kelly. "Why do we have to do the heavy lifting and you get to sit around?"

"Kelly will have her assignment once we know more out our mission and I can properly allocate her to the best position. Namely the one we need done quickly." John stood opposite Kelly, back turned to her as he washed away the fluid.

"Besides, it's like giving us a head start," Will spoke up, grinning at Kelly. "If he doesn't hold you back from your assignment for a bit, you'll be left standing outside our Pelican tapping your toe while you wait for us to finish." Kelly smiled at the joking compliment.

"You know you could just slow down," Fred suggested. Kelly turned to him, raising an eyebrow. John looked over at him as well, a perplexed look on the Spartan leader's face. "What? Would it be that hard?"

Will burst into laughter and they all turned to him. "If Kelly slowed down it would tear a hole in space and time, opening a black hole in the center of the ship. Though on the plus side, the Covenant would probably be swallowed up."

"So would the planet," Linda spoke up as she moved into the showers to join them.

"At least we have a final fail-safe for winning the war then," Kelly said casually as she washed the fluid from her hair. "If things get really dark, I'll sit down and just be lazy."

"Hey, we want to destroy the Covenant, not the entire galaxy," Will teased.

Fred chuckled and turned off his shower, moving toward the exit. "I'll be sure you know which bird is ours," he said before disappearing around the corner.

Kelly finished washing up and shut off her shower, heading toward the exit. As she left she heard another shower turn off and footsteps following her. She moved to her locker, pulling out her towel and starting to dry off. John moved to the locker beside hers and did the same. Kelly had almost completely dried off when she decided to have a little fun. She tossed her towel over John's head and rubbed it vigorously against his hair. When she finished she just left it draped over his face as she turned to her locker to pull out the under layer of her armor.

A towel suddenly landed on Kelly's head, over her hair. John dried her hair quickly and took his towel back. Kelly smiled at him before she sat down to start putting on her suit. She glanced at John beside her as he finished drying off and decided to try something else. As she was slipping the suit up her leg, she purposefully brushed her elbow against John's leg, knowing it would draw his attention. She slipped it up her legs and stood, pulling it up to her waist, wiggling her hips a little just for show. "I think I like these new suits a bit better." Kelly glanced at John and he quickly looked away, obviously trying to keep her from catching him staring. Kelly smirked, satisfied with his reaction. "It's just more form-fitting and feels more flexible." The under layer of their armor had recently been made to be slimmer and more comfortable. Kelly slipped her arms through the sleeves and pulled it all the way up.

"It is an improvement," John agreed, pulling his own suit up to his waist. He adjusted it slightly at the groin so it was more comfortable. "Though maybe a little too form-fitting," he added, and started to pull his suit up the rest of the way.

Kelly slipped her suit on completely and she adjusted the chest of it so it was in its proper place. She got an evil idea and turned to John, subtly pulling her suit a bit out of alignment. "It seems crooked. Does it look crooked to you?"

John turned to her and his gaze fell to her hands that were fiddling with the chest of her suit. There was a noticeable pause, at least one Kelly noticed, before John's gaze rose to her face. "It does look crooked." Kelly let out a frustrated sound as she continued to halfheartedly adjust the material. She knew John, knew the conflict in his head between not touching her and helping her. He finally made his decision and his hands moved to the front of her suit, helping to adjust it properly into place. Kelly was surprised to feel him move it perfectly into position with ease; in fact it felt better than when Kelly had it adjusted properly the first time. "More comfortable?" John asked, his hands lingering on her body half way up her torso.

"It's perfect," she informed him. "I'll have to have you do that every time. It feels better than when I fitted it." Kelly turned around so he could see the seal of her suit. "Can you zip me up?" John grabbed the zipper and tugged it up, the back of his fingers trailing over her skin. "Thanks."

John turned around so she could see the open seal of his suit. "Would you mind returning the favor?" Kelly zipped up the back of his suit, pausing for a second and placing a quick, light kiss on the space between his shoulder blades. John turned to scold her, but Kelly had already turned and walked away, heading to where they would armor up.


	227. Alone

**Title: Alone**

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

John slipped the last of his reserve ammunition into place, double checking that it was all in the proper locations. He couldn't afford to accidentally grab a clip for his assault rifle when he was actually in need of pistol rounds. This would be one of the biggest challenges that he'd ever faced, and there was a lot at stake. If he failed, the Didact would acquire the Composer; and who knew exactly how much damage he'd do once he got it. John secured his pistol to his hip and picked up his assault rifle. It wasn't in the best shape, so he set to inspecting it; knowing that a jam could mean his death before the job was done. He wouldn't have anyone to watch his back, so he'd have to be able to rely on his weapon. The Master Chief glanced across the room at where the avatar of Cortana was hovering above a terminal. The AI appeared to be talking quietly to herself - simply another grim reminder of how much rampancy had taken its toll. He just let her be and turned back to his weapon. Unlike with his guns, there was no way to fix the damage done to Cortana. And if the AI "jammed" on him in combat, he knew it could be his end and that there would be nothing he could do about it. Her recent outbursts had made him even more aware that such a possibility was indeed probable. Still, a familiar phrase echoed in the back of his mind.

_We don't leave teammates behind._

In that moment John would have given anything to have his Spartans beside him. With Blue Team backing him up, the Didact wouldn't stand a chance against him. With them he could probably stop the Forerunner here on Requiem, and keep him from the Composer altogether. John knew that if Will were here he'd be sure to the job got done. He'd never let John down before, and even against a Forerunner he was sure that the odds would be no concern to Will. On Reach he'd fought on and kept the Spartans alive in their entrenched location, despite the members of his group being too injured to move around freely. At a time like this, that sort of determination could sway the fight against the Didact in the Spartans' favor.

John then considered if he should bring a DMR with him as well to deal with the Watchers, as his magnum wouldn't be sufficient if there were more than a few. He could use Linda's sharp eye and precise shots. She could keep the skies clear for him while he dealt with the Knights on the ground and kept the Crawlers under control. He couldn't count the number of times that the female sniper had made impossible shots. Some flying Prometheans would be no problem for her; and knowing Linda, she'd be perched in a spot where they'd never be able to reach her. If she were here right now she'd be sitting off to the side with her sniper rifle set out before her, choosing the best attachments. Unlike him, she would have taken whatever she needed and he wouldn't have argued against it. She knew what was best when it came to long range combat, and he wouldn't want to limit her having what might save their lives. The room would be just as quiet, only with the slight addition of the sounds of Linda cleaning and assembling her rifle with care. Linda had never been big on conversation, but she was still the most trustworthy marksman to have watching your back.

If Fred was here though, he would certainly converse with John - answer his questions as they checked their weapons for any defects. Fred was a good man and a good soldier. The last time John had heard of him was when he was on Earth, and that Fred had taken Will and Linda on a mission. That was years ago now, but John couldn't help but wonder how he'd done. He knew that Fred could be a good leader, but he sometimes thought too much about it and it could cause problems on missions. Still, John had trusted Fred many times with his own team in the field and he'd never disappointed. Fred would also be extraordinarily helpful against the Knights. Just like the larger Prometheans, Fred was most deadly at close range. Even with their flash-stepping ability, Fred wouldn't find fighting the Knights to be a hard task. A few times John had managed to kill Knights at close range, but without a shotgun it was difficult and dangerous. Fred would have found it to be a breeze, being more at home fighting up close with his fists than from a distance. All Spartans could fight proficiently with any weapon at any range, but no Spartan had skill with fists and knives the way that Fred did. John knew that if he had Fred, he would be able to trust the man to handle himself against any enemy; and no matter what the task, he'd be able to accomplish it.

Thinking about Blue Team brought up an odd mixture of emotions within John. He was happy to think of them; remembering their years of training together, all the battles they fought, and all the good times they had. But at the same time it hurt that they weren't here with him now, preparing to face another hard fight with him. John looked to his right side, but right away admonished himself and turned back to examining his weapon. He knew she wasn't there, but he hadn't been able to stop the instinct to look over at where she would have been. The silence of the room drove home her absence most of all. If she were there she would be informing him of everything he needed to know, with no questions asked from him. She knew him better than anyone; she knew what information he would need to hear, what would be pointless to tell him, and what he might find interesting or may matter later. Out of all the Spartans he could have at his back, Kelly was the one that he would have liked to have the most. In combat she was one of the best, and she worked perfectly with him. Her quick reflexes would make short work of any Promethean. Crawlers, even with all their scurrying around, would be easy for her to track. Watchers in the sky would be simple targets for her and her ability to quickly change aim. And Knights would be particularly easy for her, with every one of their tricks being useless against her. Their flash-step would be normal speed to Kelly, their teleportation abilities only a minor inconvenience, and at close range she'd be able to dodge all of their attacks.

It was more than just her skills in combat that made John wish she were there, though. Kelly had always been his right-hand, and he'd been without her for far too long. He was tired, and he would have given almost anything to lean on her just for a moment and take comfort in her support. For years he had trusted Kelly more than anyone else as his best friend, and he'd always kept her close. He wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time if he should have taken Kelly with him on the space op, just before Reach fell. He thought of how much easier it would have been to have her with him on Halo. And for the hundredth time he then dismissed that notion, as he wouldn't have wanted her to have been threatened by the Flood. The cold, hard truth was that he didn't even know for certain if Kelly was alive…but he couldn't even remotely entertain the idea that she wasn't; that she wasn't somewhere out there with the others, waiting for him. He'd only made it through Sam's death because he'd had Kelly to support him, and he didn't think even the other Spartans would be able to console him if Kelly was dead. He quickly forced all of those thoughts out of his mind; otherwise they would consume him and likely cause him to become reckless. He needed to believe that if he made it out of this alive he'd see the Spartans again, and be able to wrap his arms around Kelly and hug her tight. He would do whatever was necessary stop the Didact, no matter the cost - but it was comforting to have a reason to try to survive as well. And leveraging his apparent heroic reputation for a few days with Kelly seemed like as good a reason as any to make it through this. The idea of having time to just lay in bed with her and get some proper sleep, his first real sleep since Reach, was an inviting thought. John felt a warmth in his chest at the idea of holding Kelly close to him, without their armor being in the way. Though he then wondered that if she were here now, would he really let her come with him? If having time to be with her was his reason to survive, it seemed counterproductive to risk the life of the person that goal revolved around. At the same time, he knew Kelly would not accept being left behind simply because he was afraid for her safety. He'd never let their relationship get in the way of completing a mission before, and he wouldn't be able to now…John then chastised himself for again letting his mind wander so far off track. Kelly wasn't here, so this line of thinking was pointless. He returned his focus completely to finishing loading his assault rifle.

A voice in the background then caught John's attention and he looked up, and realized that Cortana's avatar had turned to face him and was speaking to him; but he only heard the last part of what she said. "…Before this is all over, promise me you'll figure out which one of us is the machine."

John just stared at the AI, taken aback by the comment. The words seemed to have come out of nowhere; and it wasn't that what she'd said was particularly philosophical or thought provoking, but rather that he felt hurt by it. He remembered the marines and ODSTs that would call him and the other Spartans "machines" as an insult; intending to imply that they weren't human. He also remembered the slight bump of Kelly's hand that often followed those insults, a silent reminder of every conversation they'd ever had about why such statements were unfounded and untrue. Kelly had always explained it was simply because they didn't know him, and that they only saw the MJOLNIR armor and not the person inside it. But after all that had happened since the events on the Halo, John had come to regard Cortana as his teammate and friend as well - just like his Spartans. So surely the AI knew that he was indeed human, and not a mindless, heartless machine? Cortana had been there when John held Sgt. Johnson's hand as the man died, and she'd been there when he risked everything to go back to Reach and rescue his Spartans even though the planet was overrun. And even now he hadn't given the AI up to Capt. Del Rio to be terminated, even though every instinct he had was telling him that she was not safe to use. Why then would Cortana say such a thing when she should know it was wrong? Was she really so rampant that she had forgotten all those things that he'd done?

It was then that John suddenly came to a realization, one that only added to the already heavy burden resting on his shoulders...Cortana really _didn't_ know anything about him. They had only worked together a brief time; with their mutual trust in each other formed out of battlefield necessity and little else, as he'd been separated from his Spartan teammates again and again. In fact when he thought about it, he couldn't recall ever having a personal or meaningful conversation with the AI. True, she knew everything there was to know about his service record - but that only explained who he was as a soldier, not who he was as a man. Cortana had never trained with him, ate with him, played cards or read with him, or consoled him after the countless hard fights he'd survived during the War. So could he rely on the AI to help him now, when he needed it most, if she truly thought of him as being nothing but a machine too? Though in the end, did he really have a choice? He had no other tools with which to manipulate Forerunner tech. And again, there was still the Spartan credo to consider.

_We don't leave teammates behind._

John had never felt so alone in his whole life than he did in that moment. If only Blue Team were with him now...if only Kelly was by his side, her touch reassuring him that what the AI said wasn't true. But they weren't here; the only other presence in the room being Cortana's holographic avatar, which appeared to be waiting for a response to her previous statement. John shifted the gun that was in his hands and remained silent. He would stay true to his word in that he would not simply abandon the AI to be destroyed, but he had no promise to make in regards to what she had said just now - not when the answer to her query should've been clear already. And once again he couldn't help but wonder if he was doing the right thing by taking the AI with him. John wasn't able to give his decision a second thought however, as he saw Commander Lasky enter the docking bay and knew he was out of time.


	228. One Step Ahead

**Title: One Step Ahead**

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

John stood still as the machinery removed his armor pieces one by one. Usually there would be other Spartans in the room but he'd been ordered to the bridge to give a report so they were al already gone. As the cryo bay had been damaged in the last battle the Spartans had several days they would be out of cryo, something John was fairly familiar with as crews often found that they were helpful with repairs. John didn't look. Forward to the likely week ahead in which they would be repairing the ship but he would look forward to the week of time with his fellow Spartans. In combat he sometimes had to send most of them out in other teams to take care of tasks. He'd like having some time with them all around.

The last of his armor was removed and John stepped down from the platform. He moved to his locker on the side of the wall and pulled it open. John was surprised to see his clothing folded up at the bottom of his locker, stacked in the exact order he preferred to get dressed. He smiled slightly as he grabbed the underwear off the top and started to get dressed. Once he was dressed he headed to the dining hall for something to eat, though he was already late for the standard meal. The halls were fairly empty as most other soldiers would be eating or working on repairs making his travel easier. People always got out of the way for a Spartan but it was still easier if there was no one in the way. The dining hall on the other hand was full, every seat taken. John spotted the Spartans, their height making them easy to spot. He noticed Kelly motioning him over and he spotted the tray beside her.

John crossed the room and slipped into the seat at the table, pleased to see that Kelly had gotten him all of the optional foods that he liked most. She'd even gotten him each utensil that he needed and had put them in the food he preferred to use it on. Under the table John shifted his leg and bumped her knee, a private motion of thanks for the effort. John happily sat and ate, enjoying the conversation between the other Spartans. In combat they couldn't chat like this so it was a rare sight he appreciated. It was calming to hear the idle chatter and Kelly making the occasional snappy comment that made him smile. John had always enjoyed just listening to conversations like this. Luckily every time another Spartan tried to pull him into the conversation Kelly would speak up and speak for him. He didn't mind, she was correct in what she'd say and the others seemed not to question her answering for him.

The others left one by one as they finished their meals and left, eventually leaving John alone as he'd arrived late. He wasn't comfortable sitting alone and he'd appreciated that Kelly had stick around past finishing her meal for some time before she too left. Once he'd finished his meal he'd realized that he didn't have anything particular to do. He considered his options before he settled on a light workout before a shower and then some rest. He would skip the workout but he wasn't tired, still feeling like he was in combat mode, something that was usually fixed with a good freeze. He hoped he could work it off as he wouldn't be going into cryo for some time.

When he reached the gym he wasn't surprised to find Kelly at the weights area, doing curls. What he was surprised to find was his chosen weights set out for him and a quick glance showed that the machines he'd planned on using were all set to the proper weight for him. He moved over to the bench beside Kelly and picked up the weights.

"I'm thinking of a number between one and ten. What is it?" He asked as he settled onto the seat and started to lift the weights.

"Seven," Kelly answered almost immediately. "And the second number is four."

John was a bit struck, surprised that she'd guessed the first number but more surprised that she'd guessed the second without him even prompting her to guess. "Has all the exposure to plasma and radiation caused you to gain telepathy?"

Kelly laughed and it was a good honest laugh, something that was rare or curt on the battlefield. "John, I can't read your mind."

"Are you sure? You've been a step ahead of me since we got onto the ship," John explained. "Are you sure you can't read my thoughts? What am I thinking right now?"

"I can't read your mind," Kelly asserted again. "I just know you John. I've been your best friend since we were six. After that many years you get to know a guy, his habits, what he likes, and his patterns. And it's not like if I had been delayed you wouldn't know exactly what I was planning for the rest of the day."

John smiled at her words and he knew that she was right. Kelly knew him better than any person he'd ever met, even more than Sam had. Kelly had always had the ability to read him well and he could read her just as well. After decades he and Kelly had a bond that he couldn't say he had with anyone else or thought he'd ever even get close to having with anyone else. Sam was the only person who ever got close to having as deep of a bond but he was gone. A scientist could look and stare at readings of his thoughts but they couldn't really be read. Kelly having known him for years gave her a better insight than someone that could literally read his thoughts. He'd never really thought about how they sometimes could skip entire conversations or at times it felt like they spoke out of old habit rather than because they needed to. He smiled a bit more as he realized that they had something that very few people had. He'd seen marines that were friends but they never had the sort of thing that he and Kelly had. They were really lucky to have each other, and perhaps the most lucky thing was that he'd been put on a team with Kelly and Sam that first day of training. He didn't know what he'd be without his friendship with Sam or the supporting unique bond he had with Kelly.

"Thank you," Kelly said, pulling John from his thoughts. She smiled at him and he smiled back, knowing that somehow she'd understood exactly what she was thinking. He turned back to his exercise and sat in the content silence with Kelly.


	229. Don't Let Her Go

**Title: Don't Let Her Go**

**Pairing: John/Kelly**

John watched the crew as they were checking the weapon crates, making sure that their supplies were secure and accounted for. Soon they would be heading out through the portal to whatever awaited them on the other side. He didn't know exactly what to expect, but with all the Covenant and human weapons they had they could probably take on an army of Hunters without an issue. Still, the waiting had him nervous, edgy; like they'd end up finding _three_ armies of Hunters on the other side.

"We're almost ready to move out." Johnson said, pulling John's attention to the Sergeant that had come to stand beside him. "Got a lot of weapons from our hinge-headed friends, and we've picked up as much guns and ammo as we can carry from our own side. You ready?" John nodded, not really sure what to say to the marine. Johnson looked toward the soldiers working on the crates and then back to John. "Any news about them? The other Spartans?"

"Blue Team was sent to answer a distress call," John replied, seeing no harm in answering the question. "They left while we were on the Delta Halo." John didn't know much more than that. He didn't know where exactly they had gone, only that they'd stolen a Covenant ship to get there.

"And what about your lady friend?" Johnson asked, fiddling with his cigar. "The one that the Doctor took with her."

"Doctor Halsey is the one that sent the message," John informed the Sergeant. "Wherever they're going, she's most likely there." At least that was what John had to believe. He couldn't indulge the fear that he was wrong, that she was still lost somewhere. He tried to push those thoughts aside, knowing that now they would only be a distraction - particularly since there was nothing he could do anyway.

"Well, when this is all over, sign me up for the rescue squad to get them back. And if your girl isn't there, then sign me up for getting her back too." Johnson tucked the cigar into the corner of his mouth. John wasn't sure what to make of the offer. The Sergeant had been a good teammate, and John had come to respect the man greatly, but he found it odd that Johnson would be so willing to risk his life on a mission to help the Spartans. "That is if she's alive," the marine then added.

John was surprised by the spike of worry and anger that rose up within him seemingly out of nowhere, like a camouflaged Elite in a dark hallway. He managed to suppress it quickly, but he still noted the reaction. "She's alive," he asserted, though more for his own reassurance than Johnson's.

"You sure about that?" Johnson questioned. John didn't answer, just stared at the man. Johnson plucked the cigar from his mouth and laughed. "Just messing with you, Chief. I'm sure she's out there." Johnson looked away, and watched a crate being dollied toward a Pelican. "And I know you'll find her." His smile fell a bit and he looked down at his cigar. "And when you do, don't let her go. Take it from an old man. When you find a woman like that, hold onto her and don't you ever let her go. You got lucky, because a man only ever meets one woman like that in his lifetime. So when you find her again and get a hold of her, you have to hang on like your life depends on it. Like you would when a Brute's trying to buck you off it's back before your knife can cut its throat all the way through."

John hadn't expected Johnson to give him such direct advice, and he didn't really know if he needed it. "Kelly is my best friend," John said, not sure if that was the right reply. He didn't really know exactly what to say to Johnson; but John was well aware of how important Kelly was to him, he didn't really feel that he needed to be told to hold on to her.

John was pulled from his thoughts as Johnson let out a single hearty laugh. "Chief," the marine chuckled a couple times. "A man doesn't throw himself down in the path of a burning plasma death for a woman that's just his friend," the Sergeant said. John didn't respond, he didn't know how to. He understood what Johnson meant, but he had no idea what would be an appropriate reply to such an insinuation. Johnson, likely realizing that he wasn't going to get more out of the Spartan, perched his cigar back in his mouth. "Well, I'll see you on the Amber." He nodded and moved away, leaving John alone with his thoughts once more, which were now centered around a single person.


	230. Simple

**Title: Simple**

**Pairing: Lasky/Palmer**

Tom stood in the doorway, bag still in hand and contemplating if he could just turn around and run out the door. He knew that was a stupid idea, that he shouldn't do it, but nothing scared him more at the moment than the woman who was staring at him. Her face was neutral and he couldn't tell exactly what she was thinking about, but he could guess the subject. Tom took a deep breath and let it out as he dropped his bag beside the door like he usually would. He took a step into the apartment and the door shut behind him, sealing him in with no escape. He moved across the room to the couch and sat down, untying his shoes. The whole time he could feel her eyes on him, waiting for him to address what they both knew needed addressing. He slipped off his shoes and set them to the side before he finally looked to the woman across the room. "What do you want for dinner?" he asked, trying to be causal.

"I want to know why," she answered. "You can't dodge the subject, Tom. Why did you do it?" Tom didn't say anything and she frowned at him, annoyed by the silence. "I can sit here all day until you give me an answer."

"And what if I get up and walk away?" Tom asked, lashing out a bit in defense. "Are you still going to sit there and glare at me? What good will that do you?" His words came off harsher than he'd meant, but he felt like he was under attack. It was stupid of him; she had every right to be mad at him and demand an explanation, but he couldn't help it.

"We both know who the stronger person in this room is. Now answer the question," she insisted again. Tom didn't take the threat lightly, she was a better fighter and he knew she could overpower him. He wasn't sure exactly what she was threatening him with, but his instinct told him it was better not to know. She stood up and Tom realized that she was serious about the threats and her patience was thin.

"Can't we just forget it, Sarah?" Tom asked, wishing she wouldn't force the issue. "We can just forget it ever happened, go back to how things were." He wanted nothing more than to just put it behind them and act like he'd never done it. He didn't want to forget it really - and how could he? But he'd be fine with not acknowledging it. "Please?" Usually Tom wouldn't be like this, but he didn't want to ruin what he and Sarah had; it was rare, special, and something he wanted to protect. "I don't want to ruin what we have."

Sarah moved across the room and Tom watched her, looking for any signs as to what she'd do. "Tom," she began. "The only thing that could screw things up is you not answering the damn question."

"I don't know," Tom spit out, not sure what else he could say. "I just don't know why and I can't figure it out. I just did." Sarah sighed and moved over to the couch to sit down beside him. "Please," Tom said, making one last plea. "Can we just forget it ever happened?"

Sarah stared ahead, not saying anything for a moment. "That's not a good answer, Tom," she finally said. "I need to know," her words were slow. "Why did you kiss me?"

Tom scowled and was a bit annoyed, as he had given her his answer and she had just refused to accept it. "To be fair I was only going to kiss you on the cheek, but you turned."

That was the wrong thing to say and he knew it as soon as he saw the anger on Sarah's face as she turned to him. "Why were you going to kiss me at all?"

"I always kiss my girlfriend before I leave on deployment," Tom blurted out. Tom froze at his own words, partially scared that the words had come so quickly and partially worried at how Sarah would react. He wasn't worried about her actually hurting him, but Sarah's anger was a harsh thing; and with how close they were, getting the cold shoulder or silent treatment from here was the worse punishment she could enact.

What he hadn't expected was the confused look on her face or the lack of anger in her response. "Tom, we aren't dating. I'm not your girlfriend." Sarah paused for a moment before she asked the question again. "So why did you kiss me?" It was tinted with frustration, but Tom didn't feel like it was aimed at him.

Tom hesitated, unsure of how to explain it in a way that wouldn't turn her anger on him again. "Aren't we? He asked in as casual of a way as he could. "I mean we eat together, keep in regular contact, and it's not like we both haven't had significant others who are jealous of how close we are. Really, kissing and sex are the only relationship things we _don't_ do."

"Well we can't exactly put kissing on that list anymore," Sarah muttered in a sort of passive-aggressive comment. She leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms and turning her gaze away from him and toward the floor. "So where do we go from here?"

"We have a few options," Tom began, finding it harder to keep up the casual act. "We could agree to forget that it ever happened and just move on past it."

"Do you want to do that?" Sarah asked, but there was nothing in her voice that made Tom think she was trying to push that option, only asking his honest opinion.

Tom considered telling her yes so that he could save their friendship, but she held her gaze on him and he knew she'd see that he was lying. Instead he decided to take a deep breath and be brave. "No, I'd prefer the second option where we throw caution to the wind and give it a try."

"Give what a try?" Sarah asked, clearly wanting him to directly state what he was proposing.

"Being together, as more than just friends." Tom was fighting his nervousness to trying to stay confident. He couldn't tell if she was at all reacting well, or reacting at all for that matter. "I think we should try being boyfriend and girlfriend. Go out to a movie and a meal…a date like normal people go on."

"But if we're already essentially boyfriend and girlfriend, would anything really change? We already go to movies together, and we already have meals together. What exactly would change?" That wasn't how Tom had expected Sarah to respond. He had expected her to call him an idiot and reject the idea, but she almost seemed open to them being more.

"Well we could kiss, if you're okay with that. We'd be able to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend. We could cuddle on the couch, give each other pet names, and…" Tom bulked for a second, wondering if she'd consider what he was about to say stepping over a line. "When you're ready we can sleep together, like in the same bed." He added the last bit in a hurry so she wouldn't get the wrong idea.

Palmer didn't respond, just stared at him with a blank look without a hint of what she was thinking. Tom was considering telling her to just forget all of it had ever happened when Sarah gave her answer. He had expected a yes or no, but he hadn't expected to feel her gently move his head and her lips touch his cheek. An awkward silence filled the air as Tom analyzed what had just happened. "What," Tom began as carefully as he could, "was that for?"

Sarah turned away from him and he could swear she was blushing slightly. "I always kiss my boyfriend when he comes home," she explained. Tom sat in silence, wondering if he'd heard her correctly. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" Sarah asked.

"No," Tom answered quickly, not wanting her to entertain that thought. "I'm just…I guess I didn't know you'd be willing to…give me a chance." Tom shrugged slightly and smiled. "I thought maybe you wouldn't want to slum it with a Navy man, particularly an officer."

"I'm not slumming," Sarah corrected. "You are softer than the ODST I'd usually date, but that doesn't make you slumming. Though considering the women you usually date, I'd think you wouldn't be interested in me."

"You are more forceful and abrasive than some women I've dated," Tom admitted. "But you're also one of the most loyal, caring, and fun women I've ever known." He moved his hand over and took her hand in his. "Not to mention you're prettier than any woman I've been with. You're certainly a step up when it comes to people I've dated."

"That's really sweet of you to lie like that, Tom. I appreciate it." Sarah smiled and Tom decided not to pick a fight by correcting her. "So what do we do now?"

"Well I just got back from deployment, so I kind of want to take a nap," Tom told her, wondering if that was the response she was looking for."

"Sure, but the blanket is down in the laundry so I'll go get it for you." Sarah stood up and moved toward the bedrooms to get her baskets.

"I can get it myself," Tom told her, not wanting her to go out of her way.

"Well I've got two loads down there, and if you're willing to get my bras and panties as well then go ahead." Tom blushed and Sarah grinned. "That's what I thought. Though I hope you plan on eventually getting to where you're willing to handle them, because I'm a woman with an appetite." Tom knew she was teasing him, but this was unlike any time before. This time it was actually speaking of the future of their relationship.

"We'll get there," Tom said as he moved to lay down on the couch. "But just not yet." Sarah shrugged, accepting that he wasn't ready before she moved out of the apartment to head downstairs.

Tom relaxed on the couch and shut his eyes, letting his mind mull over the events that had just occurred. He had expected Sarah to be mad and yell at him, and it seemed impossible that somehow things had turned out completely different. Maybe he'd fallen asleep on his transport home and this was all a dream. That he could believe.

The door opened and Sarah walked in with a basket in hand, blanket folded on top. She moved toward him and held out the blanket to him. Tom took it and started to unfold the cloth. "So just to be clear - you're my girlfriend now, right?"

"Yeah," Sarah confirmed, seeming a bit confused by the question. "Having second thoughts?"

"Not at all, just…I guess I've just never started a relationship like that. Usually there's required dating, the occasional gift, and then the awkward conversation about if we want to be something more serious." Tom spread the blanket out over himself and he slid down to rest his head on the arm of the couch.

"Well we have done those things," Sarah pointed out as she moved toward her room. "Three years of dates in the form of watching movies, eating meals, and spending time together. We have given gifts to each other, and I would say you seemed fairly awkward in that conversation." Tom smiled and watched as she vanished into her room.

He drifted off at some point, and awoke to Sarah having joined him on the couch. Her back was against his chest in her normal position and she was playing a video game. They'd been in this position plenty of times before, but there was something different about it this time. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her loosely.

Sarah turned to look at him and smiled. "Did you have a good nap? I didn't wake you, did I?"

Tom shook his head. "You never wake me up when you join me," he informed her. "I'll make dinner in a couple hours, maybe I'll cook up some beef and veggies using those packaged spices you enjoyed last time."

"Oh, I love that stuff," Sarah said as she turned and pulled herself up to kiss him. "You spoil me."

"Well tonight is a special meal, as it is our first one together." Tom kissed her quickly; fairly certain he'd never grow tired of it. "But until then, what game are you playing? I don't recognize it."

Sarah turned back around and settled back into place. "It's Dragon Era: Catalyst," Sarah answered. "It's the first original game in that rebooted series I started last spring. This one I'm playing a warrior that everyone keeps claiming is this Catalyst from some prophesy, but my character is in denial and always tells them to shut up when they call me that."

"You don't want to be the Catalyst?" Tom asked, watching as she returned to walking around a virtual town. She was being followed by a wizard, what looked like a lizard-like human, and a large cat-creature with stripes like a tiger.

"It's not good to be the Catalyst. The prophesy says that the Catalyst is going to cause some horrible war to happen; but is vague about how, which is going to be the big issue in the end."

Tom furrowed his brow, not understanding exactly. "How will it be a big issue?"

"Because it's not clear what causes the war. There are three options I see as the ending of this game. You either stay alive and that causes a monster to spawn and then you have to try to kill it, you decide you want to stay alive but a teammate decides that they have to do the right thing and kill you to stop the demon, or you kill yourself." Sarah explained it methodically like a teacher laying out the facts.

"And how is that difficult. Only one of those options seems to summon a demon." Tom still didn't understand how it was a hard choice.

"Because the demon you'd summon would be an Old God and that would start a Blight, which would be a war. On the other hand, I've helped out a lot of people and if any of my teammates kill me leaders might wage war against their people because they'd blame me for their Arbiter's death. If I kill myself then they might all break out into war with no single person to blame. None of them are absolutely good and I can guarantee they aren't going to explain which will cause what." Sarah let out a long breath as she hit a loading screen. "At least if I screw it all up I can just re-load my save. I don't know why you want to be in a leadership position like you are. I'm fine making these choices when it's fake lives in the balance, but you're in charge of real people's lives."

"Well, it takes a certain type of person to want to bear that weight on their shoulders. But I think that you could handle it just fine. Part of what it takes is being able to see the wider reaches of your actions, like the death of a champion and the way people might react. You may not want the responsibility, but you're smart enough that if put in that position you could handle it." Tom sat up just a bit so she could kiss her shoulder.

"Laying on the complements a little thick, aren't we? Still not believing that I'd settle for you?" Sarah teased, not looking away from the screen.

"How'd you know?" Tom responded, earning him a slightly annoyed look from Sarah. "Really, I would have thought you would have fought more. I expected you demand we go through the first date and such."

"If you'll recall I wasn't the one that had issue with age," Sarah informed him. Tom didn't understand the comment at first until the memory hit him. He'd forgotten about that night all those years ago, and he was surprised she still remembered. "Besides, if what I've heard through the wall is any indication then I won't regret it."

Tom blushed and buried his head against her shoulder for a moment in his embarrassment. He pushed her forward and she instinctively sat up so he could stand up. "I'm going to make dinner," he announced as he walked toward the kitchen. He didn't know what to make of that comment, unsure if she was just joking or was being honest. He knew she'd had a number of less-than-impressive lovers from what he'd heard through the wall, so it was possible that she was interested in the physical part. He thought back to that night they'd shared and remembered that a lot of that had been physical. Not completely, but a part of it had been just about sexual attraction, only spiced up by the emotional connection.

Tom heard Sarah sigh and when he turned around she had paused the game and was walking toward the kitchen. He watched her as she approached him, and to his surprise she moved to pin him against the counter. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she hugged him, Tom hugging her back on instinct. She pulled back enough that her lips were hovering beside his ear. "Don't over think it, Tom. I like you, all of you." She pulled back a bit more and kissed him. It wasn't a quick kiss like they'd had so far, it was long and he could feel her lips move against his. He returned it as soon as his brain understood what was happening, his arms holding her tight against him. He only pulled away because he ran out of air, and let his grip drop as she stepped away.

"I'm going to let you get back to making dinner. I'm starting to get a bit hungry." Sarah turned and walked out of the kitchen. Tom watched her, smiling to himself as she moved back to the couch. Once she'd sat back down he returned to getting out pans to cook their meal.

Note: I usually wouldn't ask for reviews but I'm about 5 or so reviews away from being the 4th most commented story under Halo here on this site and I'd really like to get there. So please review.


	231. Scotch

**Title: Scotch**

**Pairing: Palmer/Lasky**

Tom set two glasses down on the small table in his personal quarters, placing the bottle of scotch beside it. Usually he would have a chess board set up on the table but he had put it away before going on the diplomatic mission and hadn't bothered to take it back out. Sarah grabbed the bottle and twisted off the cap, pouring them both a glass. Tom stared at them for a moment, wondering why she'd poured a full glass and another that only had a sliver of liquid in it. "You know I can handle more than that," he said as he sat down in his chair.

"The full one is for you," Sarah said as she grabbed the barely filled glass. "No reason to waste good alcohol on someone that can't get drunk and doesn't have a taste for the stuff anymore." Tom picked up his own glass and looked at the brown liquid. "If you drink it slowly it shouldn't knock you out like a prize fighter, Light-Weight."

Tom laughed at the jab, knowing full well his tolerance was low and that he'd have to sip slowly. He raised his glass and held it a bit toward her. "To surviving," he said, figuring it was a good toast. Sarah raised her own glass and Tom gently touched his cup against hers. "So how did you find out about my secret mission anyway?" He hadn't told her before he'd left, but it was clear she'd known the moment he had stepped back onboard _Infinity_.

"The Admiral told me," Sarah answered. "After we took the bastard down he figured there was no danger to me knowing." She frowned and paused for a moment. "I would have preferred to hear it from you."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Tom said before taking a sip from his glass. He just let the drink sit on his tongue for a moment before he swallowed it down. "I didn't want to risk you getting in trouble. After all what I was doing wasn't necessarily going to be legal. My source had some…abstract interpretations of the law." Tom had expected a laugh from Sarah but instead she sat, staring at her glass. "You're not really that upset, are you?"

"I don't like you protecting me," Sarah finally said. She set her glass down on the table, the drink untouched. "I'm not a little girl you have to shield from things, Tom. I can handle myself and the bad things in the world. I like it even less when you run off without a word with a Spartan I can't trust."

"Too bad," Tom retorted. "Part of giving a shit about someone is trying to protect them when you can. And if I had taken you, the only Spartan that can be trusted absolutely, then who would have saved _Infinity_?"

"Majestic," Sarah responded flatly. Her gaze had become distant and Tom wondered what had her thinking so hard. He sipped at his drink, being sure to pace himself as he figured out how to turn the conversation to something lighter. "You know you're the one that's supposed to worry about my safety, not the other way around." The words pulled Tom's attention to Sarah who was now frowning. "What's the point of having a giant state-of-the-art ship if it can still be blasted to pieces?"

Tom stared at her for a moment, confused by the sudden change of topic before he realized what she was talking about. Tom had never really considered the thought that what had happened on the bridge would bring back the reality that an advanced ship didn't necessarily guarantee safety. As actual bridge crew, Tom knew how dangerous a ship was in combat; but as a ground soldier, Sarah didn't. He'd always let her believe that he was safe aboard a ship and that he was the only one that needed to be worried. It had always made things easier for them and it was the first time on _Infinity_ that a member of the bridge crew had died. "It was a glassing cannon," Tom reminded her. "There isn't an enemy weapon like it that's out there and there aren't really any more of them left. Everything else _Infinity_ can stand up to." He hoped to ease some of her worry at the least.

"Not many that we know of. How many do the rebel forces have? How did a squid-face and that traitor get control of it?" Sarah shook her head, still scowling. "He was standing right where you would have been." The comment didn't quite make sense to Tom. He knew she was either talking about Bradley or Hood, but he wasn't sure which. "If that had been you…"

"It wasn't me," Tom reminded her. "It was neither of us, luckily. Though when I was reading the report about what had happened I'll admit as soon as I saw there were casualties all I was looking for was your name. Of course I was slightly panicked, all the more when I read the part where Bradley died, so I had to go down to the full list. I couldn't read it clearly enough to know you weren't on the ship until I saw you weren't on the list. I suppose that for once I should be glad you insist on getting your hands dirty in the most dangerous way."

"Spartan Town wasn't hit, so I would have been in no danger. Hood kept me off the bridge, down with the Spartans where we grunts belong." Sarah finally turned to look at Tom and he could see the concern on her face. "You would have been-"

"I wasn't," Tom asserted as forcefully as he could. "I was on a distant planet, far away from the _Infinity_ - busting a glassing cannon, wasting time, and failing to get the information for Hood that might have stopped any of that from happening."

"That was Hood's fault and you damn well know it," Sarah countered. "That 'wasting time' kept you off the bridge and that's what matters. Hood would have gone forward even if you weren't getting information. At least with things being how they were you weren't here to get killed." Sarah's voice had become strained as she spoke

Tom decided to defuse things as best he could before things got out of hand. "You weren't on the ship and neither was I. Our luck held out and we were both in safe places and you were in a position that allowed you to save the _Infinity_. Everything else doesn't matter." Tom hesitated for a moment before he set his hand, palm up, on the table. Sarah looked at it, and after a brief pause she set her hand in his. He squeezed her hand lightly before relaxing to just let his thumb run over her fingers. He stared at her hand, enjoying how it looked resting on his. He tried to imagine how the ring he'd bought would look on her finger, trying to decide if it would look good.

"If you want help with that you could ask," Sarah said. Tom followed his gaze to his left side where his hand had slipped into his pocket and had been absently rubbing the outside of the small box.

Tom quickly pulled his hand out of his pocket. "I wasn't," he defended, not wanting her to think something bad of him.

"Then what were you doing?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tom considered trying to deflect or making up another subject in an effort to avoid answering the question. But he decided against it and instead released her hand. Sarah tried to pull her hand away but Tom grabbed her hand and kept it in place. When he released her hand again she kept it in place, just watching him with suspicion. Tom fished the small box out of his pocket and quickly removed the ring. He took her hand back in his and slipped the band onto her ring finger. There was a moment of hesitation before he leaned forward in an instinctual romantic action and kissed her fingers where the ring now was.

It looked as good on her finger as Tom had hoped, and he was rather pleased with himself for making the right choice. Sarah withdrew her hand and examined the ring. She seemed unimpressed, maybe even a little disappointed. "Don't you like it?" Tom asked.

"I guess I just expected you to be more traditional. A rock on the ring, getting down on one knee, and all that," Sarah answered.

"It's not an engagement ring," Tom clarified, having expected she'd assume it was one. "It's a promise ring; I'm promising you that I will propose."

"Oh," was Sarah's response, and far from what Tom had expected. "It's very beautiful, Tom. Thank you."

Tom could tell that the smile on her face was slightly fake and it brought up only one conclusion. "Sarah, did you want it to be an engagement ring?"

"Well…yeah," Sarah admitted. "I know I said that I wanted to wait, but…we've had too many close calls recently and I don't feel like it's going to get any safer. I feel like maybe we've waited long enough." Sarah finally turned to look at him. "But I'm willing to wait, if that's still what you want." Tom couldn't deny that she was right. They'd had a few too many close calls recently for his liking, and it didn't seem like that was going to change anytime in the near future. "It's still a lovely ring, I do like it. And I love you." She set her hand back onto his hand that was still resting on the table.

Tom held her hand once more and smiled at Sarah, part of him wondering why she'd changed her mind. It really wasn't that big of a surprise, he supposed. She'd never really been faced with his mortality in the way that he had, seeing others die where it could have easily been her. He admitted his own fears of her death had been a big part of why he often entertained the thought of proposing. He had also been excessively reckless in the last year, so he was giving her even more reason to worry. At the same time he was beginning to believe that there was no such thing as a stable career as a Captain. Sarah seemed to understand that, they'd both seen how easily Del Rio's position had been stripped from him.

"It's been a hard six or so months since I took command," Tom admitted finally. "And nothing about _Infinity_ really seems to be constant. So maybe no time is better than now." Tom stood, still holding Sarah's hand, and got down on one knee. He held her left hand with both of his and smiled up at her. "Sarah, will you marry me?"

Sarah smiled down at him and her hand gently squeezed his. "Absolutely." Tom grinned and stood up enough to lean forward and kiss her. "I'm keeping my last name, though," she said when they broke apart.

"I'm fine with that," Tom agreed, moving to sit back down in his chair. "Do you want to be more public?"

Sarah frowned, seeming uncomfortable. "Not really. If they still can't put it together when we come in with wedding bands then they're idiots. But I guess I'd just rather keep what we have between us, but I'm selfish like that."

"I've got no problem with that," Tom assured her. He wasn't one for excessive public displays of affection anyway. "So, engagement sex tonight?" He asked as he picked up his still partially filled glass of scotch off of the table.

"Well we have some options," Sarah began, almost as though laying out their combat strategies. "There's engagement sex, apology sex, or still-alive sex."

"Well the apology sex is unnecessary. Although I enjoy it, you have nothing to apologize for." Tom sipped from his glass, regretting it a bit as it removed what little he could still taste of Sarah's kiss.

"Oh, I wouldn't be the one apologizing. I'm not the one that up and vanished with a random person of the opposite sex," Sarah pointed out. "Next time you take a male Spartan. Better yet, next time you take me."

"I couldn't take you and she was the only trustworthy Spartan I had as an option. She also already knew about the events with the ambassadors." Tom hadn't really considered how absconding with Spartan Ray would look to Sarah until he'd made his plans, and at that point it was too late to change his mind.

"She wasn't exactly trustworthy. Not killing you one time isn't proof that she isn't plotting it. Scruggs saved me only minutes before he was pointing a gun at me." Sarah let out a long frustrated breath and slumped a bit in her chair.

"Did what happened with Scruggs really unsettle you that much?" Tom knew it had caused her distress to have to kill the other Spartan-IV, but he didn't know it still had her this upset.

"He slaughtered his team and I had to put a knife in his throat to stop him," Sarah reminded him. "Scruggs was my friend, had backed me in combat, and I trusted him. How many more of my Spartans are traitors like him? I just don't know who to trust anymore."

Tom felt his heart ache to see Sarah so dismayed, and he knew he had to do something. He set his drink to the side, and slipped off his shoes, before standing up. Sarah looked to him, perplexed by what he was doing as he knelt down before her. Tom untied her boots and slid them off, setting them to the side. He stood up and held his hand out to her. Sarah took it, seeming hesitant at what his intentions were, until he led them over toward the bed.

"Tom, can we not do this yet? I'm…I'm not in the mood at the moment." Sarah stopped beside the bed with him, uneasy.

"That's not my intent," Tom assured her, stripping off his jacket and tossing it to the foot of the bed before he pulled back the sheets. He sat down on the bed and slid part of the way onto the mattress before patting the space beside him. Sarah sat down and Tom reached out, grabbing her waist and pulling her toward him. One arm slipped around her body and the other around her neck, pulling her down so she was against his chest. "No matter what, remember that you have me," he said as she settled with her head resting against his shoulder. "Whenever you fear there's no one to trust, know that I love you and that you can trust me."

Sarah closed her eyes, wrapped an arm around his waist, and rested her other hand on his shoulder. "I love you, Tom."

Tom placed a kiss on the top of her head and hugged her against him. "I love you."

"I'll admit, though, I thought you were planning on easing my fears in a more sweat-and-scratch-inducing way," Sarah teased.

"Hey, I stopped scratching," Tom responded, enjoying the lighter tone of their conversation. "Well, for the most part." He was rewarded with a laugh from his lover which eased away some of his worry for her. "Besides, I don't have the energy for the half-hour struggle it takes to get that damn body suit off."

Sarah sat up slightly so that she could look Tom in the face. "Lazy," she commented with an amused smirk. "Why'd I agree to marry you again?"

"I think it has something to do with my dashing good looks," Tom offered. "Or maybe it was my skill in bed."

"No, it can't be either of those things," Sarah dismissed lightly. Tom laughed at her mock insult, knowing she was just messing with him. "Oh that's right - it's because you have a heart of gold." She leaned down and kissed him, lingering a bit before she settled back into place. "Or maybe it was just for those kissable lips."

"So I'm just a pair of lips to you?" Tom asked faking insult. "Why did I agree to marry you?" he echoed her question. "Well it's a really small list of reasons actually."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sarah asked, seeming a bit genuinely insulted.

"It would be a list that just says 'everything'," Tom answered, hoping that the setup had been worth it in the end.

"Forgot about that skilled tongue of yours," was Sarah's reply. "It might be faster if I just make a list of things that give me reason not to marry you."

"And what would be on that list?" Tom asked, interested in her response.

"It would be a boring list. Basically just a blank space," Sarah answered.

"And you say I have a silver tongue," Tom teased with a light laugh.

"Your tongue is more skilled, take it from me. I've experienced its talent first hand," Sarah sated causing Tom to laugh at the joke. "I like the way your laugh sounds from here," she added.

Tom reached over and pulled the forgotten covers over them and relaxed in with his fiancé. "You're welcome to that space any time," he informed her as they settled in for a bit of rest.


End file.
